Confidence
by RedLion2
Summary: Meli Tomkins has a new boyfriend and a new family, including one very hot-tempered older brother. Determined to fit in and be able to defend herself against the bad guys, she begins training with Raphael. Sequel to "Stronger." Set 7 years after 2012 series. LeoxOC, Raph/OC friendship/brother-sister bonding.
1. Training

I do not own the Turtles, Splinter, or April. But Meli Tomkins is mine.

This is a continuation of the story begun in _Stronger_, and will explore Raph and Meli's newfound brother-sister relationship. I'm not sure how long it will be, but I'm planning several Meli-specific stories with her new family, so don't despair.

If you haven't yet read _Stronger_, I would advise you to do so before reading this.

Thank you. I hope you enjoy!

CONFIDENCE

CHAPTER ONE: TRAINING

Meli waited by her back door, drumming her fingers on the wall. _He's late. _Not that they were really on a time schedule, per se, but she was anxious to begin her training. She pulled out her T-phone and checked the time for what felt like the tenth time in as many minutes, and sighed. _What's the hold-up, I wonder? He's not usually this late. _As she mulled it over more, she started to fret that something had happened to Raph, and pulled out her phone yet again to text him.

A sharp rap on the door about caused her to drop her phone, and she shoved it into her pocket as she reached to unlock the door. The fancy security system Donnie had installed just two months ago had been shut off, but as she stepped out the door she re-engaged it, and turned to smile up at one of her older brothers. "Hey," she said.

Raph smirked. "Were you leanin' on the door? That anxious to get started?"

Meli frowned and pushed her way past him. "You're late, Raph, in case you hadn't noticed." She stalked away from him, and heard him snort before he caught up to her.

"Punctuality's never been a strong suit of mine, ya know," he told her. "Besides, we got all night."

"Maybe _you_ do, but I have to work in the morning, remember?" she told him. "Not all of us can sleep in until noon."

"Ouch," Raph said. They walked over to the fire escape on the next building, and Meli adjusted her backpack before starting the climb upward. Raph usually carried it for her, but she'd decided that she didn't really need the extra help, and had told the boys two weeks ago she could carry her gear herself. She heard Raph start up the escape behind her, and hurried so she wouldn't get run over. Once they reached the top, they walked together over to the ledge, and Meli felt a sickly sensation in her stomach as she peered down into the alley far below them.

She looked at Raph, who was watching her with amusement. "So, shall we?" she said.

"You know, I could just toss ya over," he said. He sounded serious, but she saw the glint of humor in his bright green eyes, and shook her head.

"Oh, no. I'm not ready to be tossed off a building yet," she said. She pointed across the gap. "Too tired to carry me tonight?"

The humor was suddenly gone, and she found herself swept up in his thick arms as he took a few steps backward before running forward and launching them over the gap. Meli gasped as they landed. "Hey, take it easy," she chided, and Raph gave her a quick squeeze before jumping the next gap in-between the buildings. Five minutes later they reached the manhole the turtles used when they came to visit her, and Raph set her on the top of the building. Meli took a deep breath as she rearranged her backpack for the climb down the fire escape.

Raph pulled the cover off the manhole and waited until she'd started down the ladder before following and letting the cover settle over top, sealing them in instant darkness. Meli reached into her coat pocket and withdrew her miniature flashlight before clicking it on. She reached the bottom of the ladder and stepped off, waiting for Raph to reach her. He didn't say anything, and she wondered if he was upset over what she'd said back on the rooftop. She knew he hated anyone thinking he was weak.

"So, did you guys run into any trouble last night?" she asked, glancing up at him as they walked. She already knew they hadn't; Leo had texted her when they'd gotten back from patrol and said it had been quiet.

"Nah." He didn't offer anything else, and she felt bad for teasing him earlier. Yet apologizing, drawing attention to what had been said, would probably make it worse.

"So, after you're done working with me, I'll be able to beat up the Dragons all by myself, right, like April does?" she said, her tone casual. She sensed, rather than saw, him look at her.

"You'll be able to _defend_ yourself," he corrected. "We don't want you out by yourself, lookin' for trouble." His tone was firm, and she knew if she looked up, his jaw would be set like stone.

Maybe it should've bothered her, the way the boys were so adamant that if she was out and about at night at least one of them was with her, but it didn't. Not with Saito still out there. A shiver ran through her, and she wondered if she'd ever be able to think his name without some sort of reaction. She felt Raph's hand settle on her shoulder, and appreciated his concern. It was very nice having someone care about her. "You know I wouldn't go out like that," she said. Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper, yet he would have no trouble hearing it. Not with his ninja abilities.

"Yeah, I know," he said. "Tonight we're gonna work on your boxing. If you end up getting into trouble, I want to know you can rock someone's clock," he added, and there was a coloring of humor in his voice.

Meli smiled. "With you training me? There's no doubt about it."

He chuckled, and they walked along in comfortable silence for a ways after that. It had been nearly a week since she'd visited the lair; the boys had stepped up their patrols after two young women had been attacked near the Dragons' territory, and Leo had asked her to stay at home at night for a while until they figured out who was committing the crimes. She'd agreed; after having had Saito and her crazy uncle try to kill her a couple months ago, she wasn't at all eager for more danger. But Raph hadn't wanted to put off her training any longer, since her injured right shoulder was finally cleared by Donnie, and Leo had decided it would be better if she did know some self-defense, _just in case_. Meli knew her boyfriend never planned on allowing danger to befall her again, but things happened.

They reached the lair, and she was surprised none of the other turtles were there to greet them. Not even Mikey, who usually met them half-way to their home. But she didn't mention it, as Raph didn't seem concerned. And after all, she was here on business tonight. She hopped over the turnstiles without really thinking about it. It was becoming an old habit by now. Raph followed and nodded toward the dojo. "Meet ya there in five," he said.

"Okay." She headed down into the pit and across, smiling as she saw the new flat-screen TV Kirby O'Neil had bought for the guys after a deadly curse had flattened their old one. Another shudder ripped through her, and she hurried into the dojo and closed the door while reaching to flip the lights on. The punching bag was waiting, and she smiled, eager to get at it again. Raph had let her work off some steam with it during the night Leo had found out her uncle was working with the Purple Dragons, and she'd discovered just how good a tight punch could feel. She took off her coat and started stretching, enjoying the pull of her muscles. Raph walked in a few minutes later, carrying a couple of big towels and two bottles of water. He set them down and walked over to her.

"Okay, listen up." Raph stood in front of her, arms folded over his plastron. "I'm not gonna go easy on you. I want you tough enough to take down attackers, in case you need to." His tone was hard, but she knew not because he didn't care – it was because he _did_. "Got it?"

She nodded, and when she answered, her tone matched his. "Got it."

"Come here." He led her over to the side of the room, where a pile of clean bandages lay. "Better wrap those delicate hands of yours," he said. She scowled, ready to retort, when he winked up at her as he gently took hold of her right hand and started wrapping it. She bit back the retort, knowing he was just teasing her. He worked quickly, efficiently, and soon both of her hands were wrapped and taped to prevent damage.

Raph gestured to the bag. "You stretched, so let's get to it." He went around and held the bag from behind, and waited. Meli got into the stance he'd taught her, put up her hands, and set to work. It felt good to be hitting the bag, and she focused hard, not wanting her mind to drift. She appreciated Raph taking on her training; Splinter had offered to do it, too, but Raph had said there were some things he specifically wanted to show her, and Splinter had acquiesced to him.

Ten minutes after working, Raph signaled to her to back off, and she paused, trying not to gasp for air too hard. She'd been lifting weights with Leo, hoping to get more fit before her more extensive training started. Raph handed her one of the towels and a bottle of water. "So?" she asked a minute later, after wiping away the sweat and quenching her thirst.

He didn't answer right away, and her heart sank a little. She wasn't April, of course, who'd been in kunoichi training for seven years, but was she _that_ bad? She bit her lip, not wanting to appear overly anxious about his opinion, but it mattered. He took a swallow from his own water bottle, screwed the cap back on, and stared at her. "Not bad," he finally said. "We definitely got some work to do, but your form is pretty good, and you've got a decent swing."

Meli couldn't hold back the quiet exhalation of breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Okay. So what do we work on first?"

"You need more follow-through on your punch. Just landing it isn't enough - if the bad guy doesn't _feel_ it, it doesn't matter." Raph held out his left hand. "Hit it."

Meli bit the inside of her cheek. "Really?"

"Yup. Hard as you can." Raph nodded and waited, a calm expression on his face. Meli centered herself, pulled back her right arm, and swung. Her fist smacked into his hand. He frowned. "Again. Like you mean it this time."

_Like I mean it?_ She nodded and swung again, and this time, he shook his head.

"Come on, Meli. You won't hurt me."

_Okay._ She closed her eyes for a second, trying to find the focus that Leo had been helping her achieve last week. _I can do this. Just imagine his hand is one of those lizard guys. Or Saito._ Yes, that would work. Just the thought of him made her blood boil, and when she opened her eyes, there was a determination in them that hadn't been there before. She took her stance, pulled back her right arm, feeling the stretch in the muscles, and let loose.

Raph's expression said it all. He looked at his hand, then at her. "Where did _that_ come from?"

She rubbed her right shoulder. "I just needed a good mental image, that's all."

He nodded. "Glad ya found one." Moving around behind her, he put his left hand on her waist and took her right forearm in his right hand. "My turn." He pulled her right arm back. "All the way, like this. And when you let go, let go and follow through. Like I said, if there's no energy behind it, the bad guy won't feel it." He walked back to the punching bag and held it. "Again."

For the next hour, Meli worked hard, throwing punches at the bag while Raph held it and offered insights and help. He finally waved her off and she sank to the floor. Sweat ran down the back and front of her T shirt, and she grabbed the water bottle he offered her. "Go easy," he cautioned. She nodded and forced herself to drink it slowly. They were both quiet for a few minutes.

"So, am I doing okay?" she asked. She had stretched out on her back and had her eyes closed.

"Yeah. You'll do," he told her.

The door to the dojo opened a minute later, and Meli opened her eyes to see her boyfriend looming over her, a frown on his face. He threw a caustic look at Raph. "I told you not to go too hard on her."

Meli sat up. "It's okay. I don't want him to baby me."

Leo looked at her and sighed. "That's fine, but he doesn't have to try and break you, either." He threw another glare at Raph.

Raph snorted. "Break her? Get real, Leo. She's not a China doll. Gees."

Meli got up and put her hand on Leo's arm, drawing his attention to her. She smiled. "We're done here. Do you want to watch Space Heroes or something?" The anger that had built in his eyes slowly dissipated.

"That would be great," he said. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "You can use the shower and I'll get us some food. You're probably starving." He turned to leave, but not before giving his younger brother another aggrieved look.

Raph growled something beneath his breath and looked at Meli. She shrugged. "Don't worry about him. I can take whatever you give me," she assured him.

"I don't doubt it. I just wish he'd leave it alone. I'm not going to hurt ya," Raph said. He picked up the towels and nodded toward the door. "Go ahead."

"Okay." Meli walked to the door, and paused to look over her shoulder at him. "Thank you, Raph. I really appreciate you taking time to train me."

He nodded, a slight smirk on his face. "You might not wanna thank me just yet."

She grinned and left the dojo, heading for the large bathroom. A hot shower was exactly what she needed to make her very sore muscles feel better. As she washed away the sweat, she let her mind wander to Leo's irritated reaction to the training session. _He knows I want to learn how to protect myself. And he should know that Raph would never ever hurt me, not intentionally, anyway. _She groaned a little as she dried off, her shoulder muscles tight. But it was a good kind of pain. It meant she was getting closer to being able to defend herself.

Leo was on the couch, a plate of sandwiches and a couple of Cokes on the beat-up coffee table. He smiled at her when she sat down. "Hi," he said.

"Hi." Meli leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I missed you." She hadn't seen him in a few days, and it had felt like forever. "Where were you?"

"Doing some patrolling," he said.

"Did you find out anything?"

He shook his head. "No." He reached for one of the sandwiches. "But at least there haven't been any more attacks, either."

"Do you think it's the Dragons doing it?" She took one of the sandwiches and bit into it, smiling. _Peanut butter and strawberry jam._ Leo had a great memory; she'd told him almost a month ago that combination was one of her favorites.

"I'm not sure yet. It could be, or it could be someone else, trying to make it look like the Dragons are doing it." Leo opened one of the Cokes. "We'll find out who's doing it, though." He clicked on the TV. "We don't have to watch Space Heroes if you don't want."

"No, that's fine," she said. "Are you taking me home tonight?"

He smiled at her, and her heart jumped. She loved his smile. "Yeah," he said, nodding. "I wanted to come get you tonight, but Raph said he'd do it, since he was working with you." There was a slightly bitter note in his voice, and Meli frowned. She reached to touch his forearm.

"You're okay with this, right? I mean, me training with Raph?" she said. He'd said he was, but from what she was seeing right now, it didn't look like he'd meant it.

"It's fine. I just don't want him pushing you too hard. You're not exactly in ninja shape," Leo said.

"But it's okay if you guys push April?" Meli bit her lip right after the words slipped out. Leo turned to her, his eyes wide. "I'm sorry. That didn't come out the way I thought it would."

Leo touched her cheek. "We know how much April can take. She's been training with Splinter for a long time now." He pushed some of the hair that had escaped her ponytail back behind her ear. "I know you're tough, Meli. You don't have anything to prove to me, or Raph, or anyone. Just remember that, okay? I'm just trying to take care of you." His voice was low and soft, and she blushed.

"I'm sorry. I know you are. I guess I just don't want Raph going too easy on me," she said.

Leo smiled. "There's no chance of that. He'll push you as far as he can without hurting you," he told her.

"Good. And then I can beat up bad guys." She reached for her Coke and took a swallow. She felt Leo's eyes on her, and looked at him. "What?"

"You can beat up bad guys _if_ one attacks you and we're not with you," he corrected. "I don't want you looking for trouble." His voice was light, but she knew he was serious. And that was okay; she didn't really want to have a run-in by herself with Saito and his goons or the Purple Dragons.

"Deal," she said, and moved closer to him so she could rest her head on his shoulder. They sat quietly this way for the whole hour-long show, and she was glad no one interferred. She wasn't sure where Mikey or Donnie had gone off to, and Raph headed to his room after his shower. Splinter checked on them once, smiled, and retreated to his own room. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy the others' company, but it was nice once in awhile to have Leo all to herself.

"I guess we'd better get going," Leo said. She sat up and nodded, a yawn slipping out of her mouth. He smiled and nudged her. "We could've left earlier."

"I know. But I wanted time with you tonight," she said. They got up and she grabbed her backpack and slipped her coat on. They popped over the turnstiles and headed down the tunnel toward the manhole that led up to the streets near the Trove. Leo reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze.

"I'm not sure how much I'll be able to visit this week. We really need to find out who's behind the attacks," he told her. His tone was apologetic.

"That's okay. I understand," she said. "Raph wants to work with me this week, too, so I'll have something to do."

Leo didn't respond, and again she wondered if he was truly okay with her spending time alone with his brother. There was certainly no attraction between her and Raph - it was purely a brother-sister relationship. "He'll have to balance that with patrolling. We need all four of us out there at night." He spoke with a calm, low tone, yet Meli still wasn't sure how he really felt about the whole thing.

"If you really need him, he can wait to train me," she offered. She certainly didn't want to get in the way of the work they did. Keeping the people of New York safe was what they did best, even if no one knew it.

Leo shook his head and gave her hand another gentle squeeze. "No, it's important for him to work with you. I want you to be safe. We all want that." He stopped and turned to face her. His blue eyes were deep and serious. "I don't want you to think I'm jealous or anything like that. I know how you feel about me, and it's not what you feel toward Raph. I just want to stop whoever's attacking girls." He moved closer to her and bent slightly to brush his mouth across hers. "I don't know what I'd do if someone hurt you."

Her heart thumped hard in her chest, and she hugged him, leaning against his plastron. "I know. And don't worry. I'm very careful when I'm not with you." She had to be. Saito hadn't been seen in two months, or his lizard men, but that didn't mean they weren't still in the city, biding their time before coming after them.

He kissed her forehead and they started walking again. Soon they reached the ladder and Leo went up first to lift off the cover. Meli followed him up and took his outstretched hand, happy for the help. Once he put the cover down, they ran for the side of a building and climbed the fire escape. They walked across the top of the building until they reached the gap. Leo swept her up in his extremely strong arms and jumped across. His knife wound had healed completely, and the scarring was faint, for which Meli was glad. That meant her stitching job that first night hadn't been too shoddy.

Once they reached the building next to the Trove they climbed down, and she unlocked the door with both the special key and the unique code Donnie had installed. It was nice and warm inside her apartment, and she hoped Leo would be able to stay a little bit and hang out. He followed her in and shut the door, and they went to the kitchen. "Do you want some tea?" she asked, turning to face him.

"Not tonight. I should probably go." He held back a yawn, and smiled. "I'm pretty beat."

"Okay." She went to him and he hugged her, holding her securely against him. "Be careful going back."

"I will." He ran a hand up and down her back, caressing her, and she sighed in contentment, wishing he could just stay. But she knew it was late, and she had to work the next day. He tilted her chin up, cupping it in his hand, and lowered his mouth to hers. His kisses were always sweet and he was always gentle, but behind the sweetness was a raw passion that left her feeling weak. After a few moments he drew back and smiled. "I'll text you when I get to the lair, okay?"

"Okay." She followed him to the back door and waited while he opened it. He leaned in to kiss her again.

"Love you," he said, giving her a hug before stepping outside.

"Love you, too," she said. He flashed her a grin and disappeared into the shadows. She sighed and closed the door, wondering if she'd ever get used to how he melted away into the darkness outside. It was slightly disturbing, and very cool. She reset the security system and headed for her bedroom and her pjs. The clock on her nightstand read 2:07 AM, and she groaned. She opened the Trove at nine every morning, but was usually up no later than seven so she could go over her inventory and get the shop ready for a day of patrons browsing and, hopefully, buying. Her muscles were sore, and she knew she'd feel even worse in the morning, but she wanted it this way. If Saito showed his face again, she wanted to be prepared.

She got into her pjs, brushed her teeth, and settled down into bed. Her phone was next to her; she wouldn't fall asleep until Leo texted her that he'd gotten home safely. Ninja or not, the city of New York was dangerous at night, and he was alone. She turned on her lamp and picked up the HALO novel she'd started the night before. It was by Karen Traviss, one of her favorite sci-fi writers, and was about the Kilo-5 team. Sinking into the story, she waited patiently for Leo's text.


	2. Focus

I do not own TMNT or those characters related to them. I do claim Meli Tompkins, though.

Thank you for the reviews so far. This story is going to be different from _Stronger_ in the respect that alternating chapters will be from Meli and _Raph's_ point-of-view, instead of Leo's. I wanted to show how Raph feels toward not only his newest sister, but his older brother's new relationship.

CONFIDENCE

CHAPTER TWO: FOCUS

Raph sensed Leo's presence in the lair and looked up from his comic book. He should've been sleeping, but found himself too restless. And, if truth be known, he wanted to make sure Leo made it back in one piece. It wasn't far to Meli's place, and Leo would be very careful, but things tended to happen unexpectedly. Especially to them.

Leo threw a cursory glance at him and sat on the couch, pulling his T-phone off his belt. He began texting, and Raph smirked to himself. He knew exactly who would be on the receiving end of the quick text. But he held back any teasing. It was important for Meli to know Leo was safe and sound. Leo finished with his phone and stood up, stretching. He headed for the dojo.

"You should be sleeping," he said as he passed where Raph was slouched down in a bean bag chair.

Raph shrugged. "Couldn't sleep." Not that it was any of Leo's business, but he knew his oldest brother wouldn't just let it go without an explanation.

Leo stopped and turned to face him. "You were pretty hard on Meli tonight."

Raph frowned. "I didn't push her harder than what she could take. Like I said before, she ain't a China doll." His tone was low, on the verge of a growl. He didn't need Leo second-guessing his training methods.

"I know she isn't." Leo sighed. "I just don't want her re-injuring that right shoulder." He started to turn away, and added, "Just take it easy with her."

"Yeah." Raph clenched his fists but said nothing else as Leo walked toward the dojo. _Gees. He oughta know I'm not going to hurt her._ He hadn't been anything but protective since the first night he'd met her, when someone had performed a drive-by on her store. He tossed his comic to the floor and got up, deciding he was probably tired enough now to sleep. Leo emerged from the dojo sans katana and headed toward his bedroom. His shoulders were hunched forward and he wore a look of defeat. Raph paused to watch him. It wasn't often his older brother allowed his doubts to show – Leo didn't want anyone thinking he wasn't fit enough to lead their team.

He wondered if he should say something, but hesitated. Donnie was the brother who was best at that sort of thing. Raph sighed and turned away to head to his own room. If Leo needed to talk, to vent, he'd likely search out Donnie or Splinter. He closed his door and collapsed on his bed, willing himself to fall asleep. After all, shouldn't he be tired after working with Meli earlier? Yet sleep was still elusive, and he groaned and got up. Maybe a few rounds with the bag would take the edge off.

An hour later he stepped out of the dojo and headed for his room again. The lair was dark and still; everyone else had found sleep, leaving him the only one still awake. He crawled into bed and pulled up the heavy fleece blanket Meli had gotten him for Christmas and settled his head on his pillow. This time, he drifted off quickly into the realm of deep sleep.

The following morning found him sparring with Donnie and trying not to laugh at Mikey, who had drawn Leo as his partner and was having problems taking down his oldest brother. "Again," Splinter called from the sidelines, and Mikey charged Leo. But Leo was ready, and simply sidestepped the manuever. He gave Mikey a hard push on the shell, and their baby brother sprawled across the mats on his stomach.

"Nice, Mikey. Maybe you should try something _new_, something you haven't done a million times," Raph said.

"Raphael, pay attention to your own opponent," Splinter directed.

"I would, if Donnie actually tried to take me down," he retorted. Donnie glared at him and came on, the bo staff a spinning pinwheel of hurt. But Raph deflected it and swept his brother's legs out from under him. "See?" he said, turning to Splinter and gesturing to Donnie. "This is too easy."

"So try this on for size." Leo's cold voice came just a fraction of a second before his attack, and Raph had no time to dodge his older brother. Leo put him down on the mats with just the barest hint of a smile. "You should pay better attention."

"Shut up," Raph growled. He got to his feet.

"Enough." Splinter walked over to them, eying all four brothers and rubbing his chin. "You are not very focused this morning, my sons. What troubles you?"

"Nothing, Sensei." Leo sheathed his katana. "Are we finished?"

Splinter met his cool gaze. "I sense you _are_ troubled, Leonardo. Care to tell me why?" Raph groaned inwardly. When Splinter asked questions like that, he wasn't really asking. He was telling them they had to answer.

Leo shook his head, seemed to reconsider, and sighed. "I'm upset we haven't found out anything more about those attacks. Those two girls were severely hurt, Sensei. We have to find out who's doing it, and stop them." His voice was low, but fury ran through it. Raph glanced at Donnie, and saw the fury mirrored in his face. The fury was justified, of course. None of them wanted women getting hurt. Just the thought of April or Meli being injured was enough to make all of them very, _very_ upset.

"You will, Leonardo. Someone will slip up, make a mistake, and you will be able to catch them," Splinter said. His tone was calm, but they all knew how quickly that calm would disintegrate if his two surrogate daughters got hurt. "For now, we are finished. I suggest you run your patrols again tonight."

"We are." Leo looked at Raph. "I want you with us tonight. Meli's probably sore today, anyway. A night off won't hurt her."

"You gonna tell her that? She was pretty adamant that she wants to keep a schedule," Raph said.

"She told me last night if we needed you out there she'd wait," Leo said. He turned away, dismissing the conversation, and Raph's eyes narrowed into shiny green slits. He would've challenged Leo, but with Splinter standing right there, that wasn't the best idea. The three brothers followed Leo out of the dojo, and Raph headed for the bathroom for a quick shower. He figured Meli wouldn't be too happy about taking a night off from training, and didn't want to deal with it. If he waited long enough, Leo would just do it. His shower was cool and quick, and soon he headed to the kitchen. Mikey was making something that smelled suspiciously like corned beef hash.

"You want some?" Donnie asked, offering him a cup of coffee. Raph nodded and reached for it. He took a quick swallow.

"What's he making?" he asked, pointing toward Mikey. Donnie shrugged.

"Not sure. It smells okay, though."

Raph wrinkled his nose. He got up and went to pull down a box of cereal. Mikey glanced at him. "Don't eat that, bro. I'm making breakfast!"

"Yeah, I'm not touchin' that," Raph said. He got out a bowl, a spoon, and the milk and poured corn pops into the bowl. Mikey sighed and went back to working on his concoction.

"So how did Meli do last night?" Donnie asked. He was reading a magazine and sipping his coffee.

"Not bad. She's focused, and her punches were pretty decent by the end," Raph said. "She's not ready for fightin' or anything, but she's comin' along." He had the bowl of cereal gone and added more. Meli had gotten him hooked on corn pops, and now he went through three or four boxes a week. She joked he'd turn into a big pop himself if he kept it up.

"That's good." Donnie watched him for a second. "Leo was worried you'd go too hard on her."

"Ugh. I'm tired of hearin' that." Raph finished the second bowl and reached for the box again. "You cleared her shoulder. And it's not like I'm tryin' to hurt her or anything. He needs to relax and lay off."

"Who needs to relax and lay off?" Leo walked over to Mikey and peered over his shoulder. He grimaced and grabbed a bowl before reaching for the corn pops.

"You." Raph kept his eyes on his cereal. If Leo wanted to argue, that was fine, but making eye contact was a sure fire way to get it started.

"Just because I'm trying to keep her safe? She looked dead last night, Raph. You know she's not in top shape."

"Yeah, well, she will be when I'm done with her," he said. He finally looked up and found Leo watching him, a cold gleam in his eyes. "You said it was okay for me to train her."

"I know I did. Just try to remember she's not a ninja, and she doesn't want to be," Leo told him.

"I know that." Raph didn't try to hide the snarl in his voice. He was tired of Leo hawking over Meli so much. "She's tough. She can take it." If she hadn't already been some tough, she wouldn't have fit into their family. Running with a group of ninja turtles wasn't easy. Leo's phone shrilled and he grabbed it, a smile breaking across his face.

"Hey, love," he said. Raph smirked and got up to put his cereal bowl and spoon in the sink. "Really? When did it happen? What time?" There was a note of anger in Leo's voice that had all three of his brothers halting their activity to watch him. Leo got up and began pacing. "Was it in the same place?" He listened for a moment and swore. "Okay. Thanks for letting me know. I'll call you later." Leo disconnected and looked at his brothers. "Meli said another girl was attacked last night, same area of town." He paused, and Raph saw the tension in his brother's body. "But this time they murdered her."

"That sucks!" Mikey's outburst was loud and violent and he slammed his fist down on the table. "We gotta find out who's doing it, guys."

"We will." Leo's voice was full of grim determination. He looked at Raph. "Your training sessions with Meli are cancelled until we catch the bad guys."

Raph snorted. "Yeah, because we don't want her able to defend herself or anything."

"She's not going to be going out after dark anyway."

"What, so you're just locking her up, then? What about April? Same thing? They aren't gonna be happy with you," Raph said. His temper was starting to boil over its thin restraints.

"But you said last night that you wanted Raph to train her," Mikey interjected. "You said we didn't need him on the patrols."

"I know what I said." Leo spun and fixed the youngest with a look of anger. Mikey cowed, his blue eyes wide. "But it's different now. A girl was _murdered_ last night, Michelangelo. We're going to need Raph." He turned his attention back to Raph, and added, "The girls will understand. We need to focus on the attacks until we find out who's doing them."

"April won't just stay at home," Donnie said. His voice was quiet, level. "She's already anxious to help us."

"We don't need her help," Leo said firmly. "You don't want her to get hurt, right? Neither do I." He moved to leave the kitchen. "We'll go in two teams tonight, and we're not coming home until we get some information." He left the kitchen and Raph looked at the other two.

"Well, that was fun." He finished off his coffee and flexed his big shoulders. "Can't wait to see how the girls take his orders."

"About as well as you normally do," Donnie said. He sighed. "I know he doesn't want them to get hurt, but telling them they have to stay home isn't going to work." He got up and put his coffee cup in the sink. "I'm going to call April and see if she knows anything about the murder." He left the kitchen, and Mikey looked at Raph.

"You want any of this, bro?" he asked, gesturing to the frying pan.

Raph grimaced. "Nope." He followed Donnie out, and paused when he saw Leo go into the dojo. Normally he'd just let his older brother blow off steam by himself, but was compelled to follow him. Leo was practicing some new kata Splinter had taught him when Raph walked in. He leaned against the wall and watched, not wanting to break Leo's concentration. Not this time. He could tell from the force of Leo's punches and kicks that he wasn't in the mood to be messed with.

"I'm not changing my mind, Raph," Leo said ten minutes later. He opened a water bottle and took a quick drink. "I want Meli to know self-defense, but this isn't the time. If we don't find out who's committing those crimes, girls are going to keep getting hurt. That's unacceptable." His voice was hard as steel.

"Did you hear me ask ya to change your mind?" Raph crossed his arms over his chest and met Leo's direct gaze. "I get it. But tellin' her and April they have to stay inside after dark isn't going to fly. Not with either of them. And you know that."

"Meli's never questioned me before, and she won't start now. She doesn't want to get hurt. And April will listen to Donnie," Leo told him. He bent and picked up a towel and rubbed his arms and chest with it. "It's not like it's forever. It's just until we catch the guy, or guys, doing it."

"Okay." Raph wanted to argue the point more, but could tell it wouldn't get him anywhere. Leo was incredibly stubborn when he wanted to be. _And I know he's just lookin' out for the girls. _Keeping Meli and April safe was a common goal for all four of them, and was sometimes easier said than done. He felt a tremor race through him when he thought back two months, when Saito had come after Meli because she could help him end the world as they knew it. That had been one of the scariest times of his young life, yet he would do it all over again to help keep her safe. _That's why trainin' her is so important. I want her to know how to defend herself if she has to._ Yet getting Leo to let that happen wasn't, well, happening. At least not now, when a girl had been murdered.

"I'm going to go call Meli back." Leo started past him, but paused for a moment. "We're not letting anyone else get hurt, Raph. We can't."

Raph nodded, feeling the heaviness of his brother's words. "I know. We won't." He watched Leo walk out, the door to the dojo closing quietly behind him. Sighing, he headed for the punching bag. The first few he threw weren't focused; anger was still coursing through him, but by the tenth punch, he was on his game, and the bag rocked beneath the onslaught of punishing fists and kicks. No, they wouldn't let any other girls get hurt. Whether the city of New York knew about them or not, they were the protectors. And whoever was hurting, and now killing, the female citizens, was going to pay.

The dojo door slammed open and Donnie stormed in, a fire brewing in his brown eyes. Raph stopped and stared. Donnie had a temper, but he was usually able to keep it fairly calm. "What's up with you?" Raph asked.

"It's all Leo's fault." Donnie picked up Leo's discarded water bottle and hurled it at the wall, where it harmlessly bounced off. "_He_ should've called April and told her she's basically under quarantine at night." He swore under his breath. "She wants to help catch the bad guys. You know what she said? If we won't let her go with us, she'll just go out alone. Isn't that great?"

Raph scowled. He'd been afraid of that reaction. April was very spirited, and she'd been in kunoichi training for seven years. Of course she wouldn't want to play it safe and stay home. She wanted to fight. "Did you tell Leo?"

"No. He's talking to Meli." Donnie sighed and sat down. "If anything happened to April, I don't know what I'd do."

"Well, I guess she'll just have to come with us, then."

"Are you nuts?" Donnie looked up at him, his eyes wide. "Leo will never go for that."

"I don't think he has much choice." Raph walked over and sat beside his younger brother. He wasn't good at being comforting, though he'd learned it didn't really take much to make someone feel better. A quiet pat on the arm, some understanding nods of the head, just sitting and listening..."If she's not going to stay home, she's better off running with us. Leo will have to see that, right?"

"I guess so." Donnie still didn't sound too convinced. "At least _his_ girlfriend isn't a ninja. She'll listen to him and just stay home."

The dojo door banged open again and Leo stalked in. His body was tight with anger, and he marched over and plopped himself down beside Donnie. "Meli refuses to stop training. She says with all the crime going on, she needs to know self-defense now more than before. I tried to explain that we need you," he nodded to Raph, "but she said she can come over after our patrols, or suggested that Splinter take over her training. Ugh. She's being so _stubborn_." The last word came out as a growl, and Raph smirked.

"Oh, and you're never stubborn, right, Captain?" he asked. When Leo muttered something unintelligible under his breath, Raph added, "So the girls don't wanna stay home and play it safe. Big surprise."

Leo looked at Donnie. "April won't stay home, either?"

"No. In fact, she's so adamant about catching the bad guys, she says if we won't let her come with us, she'll just go out by herself," Donnie said. The horror of his words was reflected in his eyes.

Leo frowned and reached back to touch his katana. It was a reflexive habit; they all did it. Touching their weapons,k making sure they were stil there, reassured them that things were still okay. "We can't have that happening. Keeping our girls safe is the most important thing." He looked at Raph. "Would you work with Meli after patrols? Or are you going to be too tired?"

Raph scoffed. "Me, too tired? Really? We can swing by the Trove and get her on the way home."

Leo nodded. "Okay. And I guess we'll have to let April come. We know all too well that she'll follow through on her word."

Donnie gave a long-suffering sigh. "I know. I don't like it, but I guess if she's with us she'll be safe."

The three brothers sat in silence then, and Raph wished it were night so that they could get out on the rooftops and search for the bad guys. He wasn't capable of inaction for long, and knowing he had a good ten hours to kill until they could go made him very unhappy. _Those guys will wish they'd never even thought about hurting girls._

Leo's phone buzzed and he yanked it off his belt and read the text message, swearing loudly as he jumped to his feet. "I need to go. Meli's got a problem."

"What is it? Is she okay?" Raph got to his feet too, his eyes bolted to Leo. Donnie got up too, a nervous look in his eyes.

"She said a couple of guys came into the Trove and started hitting on her. When she said she wasn't interested, they got belligerent. They're still there." Leo met Raph's gaze. "You want to come?"

"But what can you do? It's not like you can just go in there and let them see you," Donnie pointed out, waving his hands around.

"I know. But she's scared and I'm not going to let anyone hurt her." Leo turned to leave. "I'll figure out what to do when I get there." He began texting Meli back.

"I'm in." Raph followed, his temper already simmering. Who did those guys think they were? What right did they have to waltz in and frighten Meli? _We'll teach 'em to hit on her._ He cracked his knuckles and touched the sai hanging on his belt. Meli might be Leo's girlfriend, but she was _his_ little sister, and no one was allowed to bother her, or worse, frighten her.

"I told her we're coming, and to go into her apartment if she needs to," Leo said, glancing over his shoulder at him.

"Okay." Raph followed him out of the lair, leaping the turnstiles and breaking into a fast run. They'd been out in the daylight on occasion; there'd been a few times when April had needed help during the day, like when the Rat King's vermin had cornered her on an electrical pole, and the time the Kraang had sent a robot to kidnap her at her school. He and Leo would keep to the shadows as much as possible, and use the rooftops until they reached the Trove. Leo said nothing as they swept down the tunnels like wildfire, and Raph didn't expect him to. The only thing they were focusing on was getting to Meli as fast as possible, and getting her away from the two guys who apparently meant her harm. He didn't think it was the right time to bring up the fact that this very situation was why he needed to keep training her.

_Stay calm, sis. We'll get you out of this._


	3. Fight

I don't own TMNT, Splinter, or April. Meli Tomkins is my creation.

Thank you for all the favorites, follows, and reviews. I really appreciate each and every one.

CONFIDENCE

CHAPTER THREE: FIGHT

Meli paced in her kitchen. It was a bad habit she'd picked up from Leo in the last two months, and it drove her crazy. She stopped and tapped her bottom lip. _Leo should be here any minute._ She really hadn't wanted to text him about her situation, knowing he'd immediately come to her aide even though it was daylight, but had run out of options. The two young men had been belligerent with her, and had even gone so far as to threaten her physically if she didn't cooperate with them. But two minutes ago, after she'd left the store and walked into the apartment, bolting the door shut that separated the two parts of the building, they'd left. She'd heard them yelling obscenities and threats, and then they'd made a huge noise with her front door, slamming it as hard as they could. She'd gone out for a peek just to make sure they were gone.

She heard the back door opening and hurried out into the hallway. Leo and Raph walked in, and she felt even worse then. Not only had her boyfriend come to the rescue, but her older brother, too. "They're gone," she said, her voice still a little shaky. "I was going to call, but thought you'd already be close by."

Leo hugged her, his embrace warm and comforting. "That's okay. I wanted to make sure you were all right, anyway." He held her back and looked her over. "Did they hurt you?" There was a growl in his voice that indicated the boys would've been in trouble if they'd laid so much as a finger on her.

"No." She shook her head, dropping her gaze to the floor. "But they were getting out-of-hand, and I thought they were going to try something." Leo put his hand under her chin and gently lifted it until he could see her eyes.

"What did they want?" he asked. Raph had moved to stand to the side, and Meli could feel his anger at what had happened.

"They came in and started looking through the books, making rude comments. I just ignored them, but then they started saying things to me, and it went downhill from there," she said.

"You didn't answer his question." Raph's voice was hard.

She glanced at him, and a shiver raced through her. Sometimes she forgot how intimidating Raphael was when he chose to be. "They, um, well..." She hesitated, not sure how to tell them what the two men had wanted.

"Meli." Leo's eyes had narrowed. "What did they want?"

"They wanted me to go with them," she whispered. Her heart thudded hard with her words. "They wanted to use me as an escort." The words stuck in her throat, and she blinked hard to keep away the hot tears of indignation. _I still can't believe they had the guts to ask me something like that. _

"An escort?" Leo's tone was uncertain. "What is that?"

"It means a prostitute," Raph growled. He met Meli's eyes. "Basically."

"Yes," she said. "That's exactly what they meant." She watched the surprise in Leo's eyes rapidly change to horror and finally to rage. "They wouldn't leave, and I didn't know who else to call. The police," she made a helpless gesture, "are always so busy, they wouldn't have come right away. But I knew you would."

Leo took a deep breath. "You were right to text me." He was tense, and Meli wished now that she hadn't told them the real reason the men had been in the store. Still, lying wasn't an acceptable alternative. "Did they really think you'd just leave with them?"

"I guess so. They were pretty adamant about it." She rubbed her arms. "I told them no, that I wasn't interested, and that they could get into trouble for running an escort service like that."

"But they wouldn't leave." This from Raph, who was looking madder by the second. "I wish they were still here so we could beat the crap out of 'em."

"They left after I came back into the apartment and bolted the door," Meli said.

"Are escorts something the gangs are into? Do they run the escort services?" Leo asked.

Meli gestured for them to follow her, and took them into the living room where the daily paper lay on the coffee table. She picked it up and handed it to Leo, pointing at the article on the third page. "It's always been kind of a big thing, but lately it's gotten more noticeable. Some of the women have been coming up missing, or found dead," she said. Leo gripped the paper harder and read the article. Raph leaned in over his shoulder and read it too.

"Disgusting." Leo dropped the paper on the coffee table. He frowned and said, "When we got captured by the Foot, Rafe said if we didn't give him the scroll, and you," he eyed Meli, "he'd put April to work on her back."

Meli's eyes widened and Raph spat out some choice words. "You think maybe Uncle Rafe was into that kind of thing?" she asked. She hoped he'd say no, but the evidence pointed otherwise. Leo reached out and touched her cheek, his hand gentle. "I just...I thought I knew him so well," she murmured and sat down, unable to stand any longer with the horrible knowledge.

"I think he was, given he mentioned it to me more than once," Leo said, sitting down beside her. He took her hand in his and squeezed lightly. "I'm sorry, love." He motioned to the newspaper. "With those women coming up missing and dead, I wonder if it's related to what's been happening in the Dragons' territory." He looked up at Raph, who stood with his arms crossed over his plastron, a scowl on his face. "What do you think?"

"Would make sense to me, except that wouldn't they want to capture the women, instead of just abusin' them? I mean, if they're lookin' for girls to work for them, it doesn't make sense to just hurt 'em and leave 'em," Raph said. He sat down in the old recliner, but wasn't at ease.

Leo rubbed his chin. "No, it doesn't. Unless the girls were refusing the offer they were given." His voice was cold. "I think we've got our work cut out for us." He turned to Meli. "Are you sure they didn't hurt you?"

"They didn't," she said, nodding. They didn't need to know that the larger of the two had grabbed her arm and twisted it when she'd refused to leave with them. It would just make both of them angrier.

"Good." Leo huffed out a breath. "I think you should go back to the lair with us, and hang out with Splinter while we patrol tonight. I'm not too excited about leaving you here right now."

"I should stay, though," she said, keeping her voice soft. "People expect the Trove to be open right now."

"Take a vacation day. Or a sick day." Leo got to his feet and tugged her to hers. He kissed her forehead. "Put a note on the door. I'm not leaving you here."

"Better do what he says," Raph added, getting up. "You know how he gets."

"I know." Meli stretched and kissed Leo's cheek. "Okay. Wait here for a minute." She hurried out to the store and made a hasty sign claiming sickness. Opening her front door, she used duct tape to stick it onto the glass, and was about to go back in when she heard a woman scream. She spun around and saw a young woman, about her own age, struggling against two older men who were trying to drag her into a waiting black sedan. "Hey!" she yelled and charged down the street, toward the scene. The two men looked up and saw her, and quickly succeeded in throwing the girl into the back seat of the car. They jumped in and the car took off, tires squealing, and the driver steered it right toward her. Meli froze, her hazel eyes huge in her pale face.

"Meli!" She heard Leo's voice seconds before he slammed into her, throwing her out of the car's path. Hitting the ground hard, she was kept safe from the unforgiving pavement by Leo's strong arms wrapped protectively around her. She looked up and saw Raph hurl throwing stars after the vehicle, but none of them found their mark. He turned toward them, his green eyes blazing with fury.

"What were you thinking?" he asked, reaching down to take her hand and pull her up. Leo got to his feet as well and put his hand on her shoulder.

"I was thinking that those guys were kidnapping a girl," she said. Her voice was hot, and she tried to stem the flow of anger and adrenaline. "I wanted to help her."

"Are you hurt?" Leo asked, ignoring his ranting younger brother.

"No." Meli sighed and looked up at him. "Thanks to you. I owe you one." She tried to smile, to reassure him, but could tell he wasn't amused.

"You could've been killed," Leo said. His tone was severe. "I know you were trying to help, but those guys could've been armed."

"Or they could've kidnapped you, too," Raph added.

Meli shook her head. "They wouldn't have had enough time for that," she told him. Raph's eyes sparked, and she knew she was getting herself into more trouble with him. "I'm sorry, guys, I just thought maybe they'd leave her."

"Were they the guys who came into the Trove?" Leo asked, watching her closely.

"No. They were older than those two." She bit her lip, and gestured back at the store. "You two better get out of sight before someone sees you." Leo and Raph looked at one another and nodded. Leo took her by the hand.

"Come on. We're heading back to the lair now," he said. They quickly ran back to the Trove and went inside. Meli set the alarm, and they went to the apartment, where she quickly put together her backpack. The boys waited patiently, but she knew they were both seething inside over what had just happened. They prided themselves on being protectors of the city, and someone had been snatched right before their eyes.

Fifteen minutes later, they reached the lair. "Meli!" Mikey came racing toward her, and Raph automatically stepped in front of her to ward off the youngest turtle's overly enthusiastic hello. "Aw, come on, Raph," Mikey said, sighing. "I'm not gonna hurt her." Raph merely grunted at him and pushed him aside. Mikey turned wide eyes to Meli. "What's he so mad for?"

"I'll explain in a minute," she whispered to him. She didn't want to bring up what had happened within ear-shot of the two oldest brothers; they'd both been silent and sullen on the way back to the lair, and even though she understood their demeanor, she wasn't about to say something to set them off. Raph and Leo headed for Splinter's room, and Meli gestured for Mikey to follow her to the kitchen. They met up with Donnie, who had come out of his lab upon their arrival.

"So what's up?" Mikey asked. He got a Mountain Dew out of the fridge for Meli and one for himself. Donnie grabbed a bag of chips and a Coke and sat down across her. Mikey sat next to him. Meli looked toward the doorway, making sure neither Raph nor Leo was coming in.

"Okay. Here's what's happening," she said, and proceeded to fill them in on what had happened. When she was finished, Donnie's eyes had narrowed into brown slits, and outrage lined Mikey's face.

"We need to find out who's behind all of this," Donnie said. He got up and put the chips away, then set his bottle in the sink. He leaned back against the counter. "I've seen things on the internet about the escort rings, but didn't know they were actually kidnapping women for them." His voice was hard. "They have to be stopped."

"Definitely, bro." Mikey's voice was low, and he looked dejected. Meli got up and walked around the table to sit beside him. She reached out and put her arm around his shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze.

"You will, Mikey. If anyone can do it, you guys can." She looked up at Donnie and met his gaze; his eyes softened to warm brown in gratitude for her belief.

"Thanks, Meli," he said. He was about to say more, but Leo and Raph walked in, and the mood in the room immediately grew darker. Leo sat down across from Meli.

"You're going to be staying here, until we stop the guys doing this," he said. When she started to speak, he waved a hand and cut her off. "Splinter agrees it's the best thing to do for now. We know they aren't shy about coming into the Trove, and next time they might kidnap you. I won't let that happen." He turned in his chair to look at Donnie. "I think it would be best if April stayed here, too. Kirby is in Japan right now, and she's alone. Anyone could snatch her."

A glimmer of anger danced across Donnie's eyes, but faded quickly. Meli knew he still felt horrible about April being kidnapped from her home; his security system had been breached, and he'd spent the last two months making modifications to ensure that it never happened again. "I'll talk to her about it," he said, nodding.

"Good." Leo turned his attention back to Meli. "You can work with Raph during the day. That way he can patrol with us at night." She nodded, knowing there was no use in trying to argue. He'd made up his mind, and that was that. She'd learned over the past two months that her boyfriend, while almost always sweet and gentle, could show more than a bit of stubbornness when he wanted to, and this would be one of those times. He was trying to keep her safe, and while grateful for his vigilant protection, she wondered just how far he'd go with it.

"Come on." Raph nodded at her. "Might as well do some training."

"Okay." Meli got to her feet and followed him out. She changed into work-out clothes and met him in the dojo. He nodded at the bag.

"Going to have you keep working on that, and maybe some hand-to-hand after," he told her. "Let's tape your hands." She followed him over to the bench and sat while he wrapped her hands up. He was tense, and she wished there were something she could say, or do, to help him relax. But he was too edgy for jokes, and she decided the best thing was to focus on her training. Once he finished with her hands, she stretched and walked over to the bag. Raph got behind it and nodded to her, and she set to work.

It was gratifying to feel each pound of her fists against the bag, to know that if she needed to, she could hurt someone. Not that she was going to be left alone, not after the events of that morning. She supposed that some girls might think Leo was being way too overprotective, but she was glad to have someone looking out for her, someone who cared enough about her to keep her safe. And she knew she was tough. She'd certainly shown that when fighting Saito and his criminals in the old subway tunnels. _At least until I ended up in the pool._ A big shudder ran through her, and she forced herself not to think about it.

"Stop." Raph stepped out from behind the bag and looked at her. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she said.

"Liar." He walked over and grabbed a water bottle and tossed it to her. "Take a break for a minute." She sighed and took a swallow, hoping he'd just let it go. She wasn't ready to dredge up the grotesque memories of almost drowning in the subterranean pool. Raph studied her. "You're not fine. So tell me the truth."

Judging from his tone, she knew he wouldn't let her leave the dojo until she talked. She found it a little funny that he hated talking about feelings with his brothers, but didn't hesitate to ask her about hers whenever he felt like it. "I was remembering the pool," she said. Her voice was quiet, and she stared at the floor. "I was thinking that my training would make me tougher, and that I'd done a fairly good job of staying out of trouble when we were fighting Saito...until the curse pushed me under water." Her voice dropped even lower, and she shivered. Memories of fighting against the super-strong force, of realizing she was running out of air and drowning, assailed her and she took a deep breath, trying to focus on pushing them away, like Leo had taught her to do.

"Hey." Raph moved close and put his hand on her shoulder. "You were tough under water, too. Not many humans could've held their breath as long as you did, even with Leo's help," he told her.

"I know." She nodded and looked up at him. The concern in his deep emerald eyes was welcome, and she impulsively hugged him. "Thanks, Raph. I needed to hear that," she said.

He hugged her tight for a few seconds and let go. "No problem." He pointed at the bag. "Why don't you work that some more, and then I'll show you some hand-to-hand."

"Okay." She nodded and focused, determined to put the memories away where they couldn't bother her. Raph took up his position again, and she worked hard, punishing the punching bag as much as she possibly could with the skills she had. An hour later, her hair wringing wet and her breath heaving in her chest, Raph stopped her.

"Come over here," he said. She walked over to another set of mats, and watched as he got into a fighting stance. "Come at me," he said.

"Really? Now?" She'd barely gotten her breath back, and her whole body trembled from her efforts at the bag.

"Right _now_," Raph said. There was a growl in his voice that surprised her, and she nodded. She went at him, trying to remember everything he'd told her about attacking someone, and swung at him. He easily sidestepped, turned, and gave her a hard push that sent her sprawling across the mats. Before she could even comprehend what had happened, he was on top of her, pinning her down. Meli tried to squirm out from under him, but his weight and skills held her to the mat. He waited for a few moments, then got up and held his hand out to her. She pushed herself up and took his offered hand, letting him haul her to her feet. She didn't look at him, embarrassed by having been taken down so easily.

"Again." His tone was still hard, and she nodded. She attacked, wary of how he'd moved before, and this time managed to land something before he took her down. When he got up, she lay breathing hard on the mat, sweat soaking her T shirt. "Meli?" Raph knelt next to her and touched her arm.

"I'm up," she said. She got to her knees, waving him off this time. Raph stood and beckoned to himself. She took several deep breaths and rushed at him. Her head was spinning, and she knew she was probably overdoing it, but she wasn't letting him see how tired she was. She knew why he'd demanded she attack him so soon after working with the bag; bad guys didn't give you a chance to recover, a chance to rest. They didn't give chances, period. She tried hard to focus, to track his movement, and this time, he wasn't able to knock her down so fast. But her lack of skills did her in, and she found herself face down on the mat again, with one of Raph's knees in the middle of her back. "Get off," she said, trying to get up.

"Just stay down for a minute," he said. "Rest."

"No." She squirmed until he let her up, and she got to her feet, pushing her wet hair out of her eyes. Raph was frowning, his hands on his belt. "Let's go," she said.

"I think maybe you've had enough," he told her, and started to turn away. Meli felt a flash of anger at being dismissed, and lunged at him, sweeping his legs out from under him. Raph went down fast, unprepared for her move, and reached out to grab her legs. Meli jumped back and beckoned to him.

"Come on, Raph. Or are you too tired?" she asked. Anger boiled in his eyes, and he jumped to his feet, his face a hard mask of determination. Realizing she might've overstepped her boundaries, she moved back, watching him. He watched her, too, and a shiver touched her between the shoulder blades. He was all blind focus now, not seeing anything else but her. Meli swallowed hard, keeping her distance. She knew if she called out to him, he'd probably snap out of it, but part of her wanted him to charge. She wanted to see if she could deflect his attack.

He moved closer, his muscles bunched and solid. Meli was breathing hard. She blinked, trying to get the salty sweat out of her eyes. He charged.

She couldn't move fast enough. He grabbed her around the waist and threw her down hard. The back of her head bounced on the mat and light exploded through her mind, dazzling her eyes. Her breath boomed out of her chest in a huge gasp. All she could do was lay there. Pain rippled through her body, echoing in her head. Very vaguely, somewhere far away, she thought someone was talking to her. It sounded like it was coming through water. Someone waved their hand in her face, and she weakly attempted to knock it away. She was down. She didn't want help getting back up. Then someone was yelling, and she closed her eyes as the loudness of it assaulted her brain. Her ears hurt. Raph leaned down into her face, and tapped her cheeks.

"Meli? Meli, can you hear me?" he asked. She wanted to nod, to reassure him she was at least okay enough to acknowledge him, but everything hurt. So she just moaned a little.

"Meli!" At Leo's terrified cry she opened her eyes and tried to smile. He came running toward her, dropping to his knees and reaching to touch her forehead. Donnie and Mikey were right behind him, and Donnie dropped down on her other side, shoving Raph out of the way. Something very cold was pressed to her forehead, and she sighed, glad for the coolness. "What happened?" Leo asked, directing his question to Raph. His voice was full of fury.

Meli looked at Raph, and saw the panic on his face, the absolute horror in his eyes at what he had done. She tried to push herself up on her right elbow, but was quickly held down.

"I-I rushed her," Raph said. "We were training, and I...I hit her."

"You hit her." Leo's voice was ice. He touched Meli's cheek, and she turned her eyes to his, seeing the absolute madness in them over what had happened. She tried to talk, but he shook his head at her, and looked up at Raph. "I told you it was okay to train her, _if_ you were careful. _If _you didn't push her too hard." The deadness in his voice frightened Meli, and she tried again to get up. This wasn't Raph's fault – it was hers. She knew better than to push him like she'd done.

Raph nodded. His eyes never left Meli. "I know. I'm sorry." He finally looked at Leo. "You know I would never hurt her on purpose. I—"

"That's exactly what you did!" Leo yelled, and leapt over top of Meli. He hit Raph midsection and knocked him backward. Raph landed on his shell and Leo hit him again and again, each punch harder, stronger, than the one before it. Meli watched in horror, realizing that Raph wasn't fighting back. He was just taking it, absorbing his older brother's fury. Donnie and Mikey each grabbed onto Leo and pulled, but even combined, they weren't able to pull him off. Finally, though, Leo seemed to come back to his senses, and pushed himself off Raph, who lay bloody against the mat. Donnie and Mikey gave their oldest brother plenty of space, and he knelt at Meli's side.

"I'm okay," she whispered, reaching out to touch his plastron. "Really."

He bent down and brushed his mouth over her cheek, her forehead, her collar bone. "Doesn't matter," he said. "He hurt you." He touched the back of her head and she shuddered. His gaze darkened. "He's supposed to train you, not hurt you." Gently, quietly, he eased his right arm beneath her and lifted her until he could slide his left arm under her as well. Picking her up, he walked to the door of the dojo, leaving his three brothers behind.

He never looked back.


	4. Forgive

I don't own TMNT. Meli Tompkins is, however, my creation.

Thank you for all the really nice, encouraging reviews. It's always a bit scary to put something of yourself out in the world for people to see and read, and I'm happy finding out that others like my work. I really appreciate all of you, even if you can't review or just don't like writing reviews. Seeing the number of hits the story gets is super cool, too :-)

A note about Karai - since we don't know yet where the writers are taking her story (but I have a pretty good guess as to who she _really_ is), I'm taking liberties with her character as far as what happened to her on the show.

CONFIDENCE

CHAPTER FOUR: FORGIVE

"Raph, hold still," Donnie admonished, trying to wipe off his older brother's face. Raph sighed, knowing his brother wouldn't give up, and sat still. "Thank you." Donnie continued ministering to his brother, Mikey sitting in a chair not far from them. Donnie had taken Raph to his lab, where he had a nice long table his patients could lay on while he fixed them up. Raph avoided looking at either of them.

"So, uh, are you okay?" Mikey asked. His voice was earnest, but low. He watched Raph with wide eyes full of concern.

"Yeah, I'm all right," Raph said. What he wanted to say was he felt terrible, and deserved the beat-down Leo had given him, but that would only lead to questions from Donnie about what had happened. He shifted on the table. "You done yet?" he asked.

Donnie flinched. "No." He set the bloodied rag on the table and reached for a jar of ointment that Raph knew was going to sting the second it hit his wounds. But he didn't object. The pain reminded him that he'd been an idiot. _I never should've had her fight me like that. It was my responsibility to take care of her while she was training._ And he'd done a stellar job of it, too. He grimaced as Donnie wiped the ointment over the cuts on his face. "Almost done," Donnie said. His voice was soft, and he worked quickly. When he finished, he stood back and looked at Raph. "Okay, so what happened, exactly? We heard you yelling for help, saying Meli was hurt."

Raph looked down at his hands clenched in his lap. He didn't want to talk about it. He wanted to forget the whole thing, but knew that wasn't happening. _My training Meli probably isn't happening anymore, either. _A wave of sadness washed over him at the thought, and he realized then how much he'd enjoyed working with her, watching her learn, coaching her so she could better protect herself. He looked up and found both younger brothers staring at him. He sighed. "I wanted Meli to learn that in a fight, the bad guys don't give ya a second chance. I knew she was tired from boxing, but pushed her into attacking me in hand-to-hand." He paused, dropping his gaze again. "She was doing fair, but I pinned her fast. I knew she was done, so I told her we were quitting. I guess she wasn't ready to be done, and she got up and swept my legs out from under me, and asked if I was too tired to keep going." Raph gritted his teeth. That was what really got him. He'd let his temper go, had let her goad him into really attacking her.

"So you got mad and went after her," Donnie said. When Raph met his gaze, Donnie's was sympathetic. "Meli should've backed off. She knows you well enough to know your temper."

"Doesn't matter." Raph fisted his hands. "I went into ninja mode. I just blanked out, attacked. I grabbed her around the waist and threw her down, and realized who I'd just hit." The regret was deep in his voice. Meli shouldn't have teased him, but he should've been able to hold his temper in-check, too. "I still can't believe I got so out-of-control."

"She'll be okay," Donnie reassured him. "I checked her over, and she'll be sore for a couple days, but some of that will be from the boxing, anyway. You didn't really hurt her."

Raph locked eyes with him. "Would you be this cool with it if it'd been April?" He watched Donnie's eyes, saw the flicker of anger in them over that scenario. "Yeah, I thought so. I deserved what I got."

The door to the lab banged open and Leo started to walk in. He saw Raph and stopped, and Raph looked away, unable to take the accusations radiating in his older brother's eyes. "Donnie, I need to you look at Meli. She's got a bad headache, and I want to make sure she doesn't have a concussion," Leo said. His voice was level, calm, but Raph bet he didn't feel that way.

"Be right there," Donnie said. Leo nodded and walked out, slamming the door behind him.

"Whoa. I don't think I've ever seen Leo this mad," Mikey said. Donnie shot him a look. "What? I'm just saying."

"I don't think I have, either," Raph said.

"I don't know. He was pretty ticked off when Karai told him she'd never understand his need for justice, his sense of fairness, right before she ran away for Japan," Donnie said. He spoke in a hushed tone. The name of the female ninja Leo had crushed on for quite awhile was not to be spoken anymore. Leo had laid that law down the day Karai had broken her promise to him to turn her back on the Shredder, her father, and join the turtles.

"True," Raph said. He got mad thinking about Karai, too, and the way she'd treated Leo. Leo had given her plenty of chances to do the right thing, to walk away from her life of crime, but she hadn't been able to do it. "Don't know if that makes this any better, though."

Donnie stopped next to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. "He'll get over it, Raph. You know he will." He turned to go. "I'd better check Meli out, though, before he comes back." He headed out of the lab, leaving Raph with Mikey.

Raph got off the table and headed for the door of the lab, Mikey trailing after him. He hoped the youngest wasn't planning on following him around; he needed time to think, to figure out how to make it up to Meli, and to Leo. He'd hurt them both. Stepping out of the lab, he heard angry voices coming from Leo's room and hurried to see what was going on. Splinter was just inside the room, and from the look on his face, he wasn't at all happy with what had happened.

"It's _his_ fault, Sensei," Leo said, pointing at Raph. His voice was unyielding. Meli lay on her bed behind him, and Raph's chest ached at the knowledge that he'd put her there. On purpose.

Splinter turned to Raph. Mikey had slid into the room behind him, and was now sitting on the bed, holding Meli's hand. Donnie sat on Leo's bed. "Raphael, is what Leonardo says true? That you attacked Meli?"

"Hai, Sensei." Raph lowered his head. "We were training, and practicing hand-to-hand. I let myself go, and threw her down." He spoke softly, much more softly than normal.

"It wasn't his fault." Meli's quiet voice cut through the thickness of the moment, and when Raph looked up, she was standing next to Leo, who had a tight grip on her hand, keeping her next to him.

"No?" Splinter turned his eyes on her. "Explain."

"I knew why Raph was pushing me so hard. Your enemy won't give you a chance to rest in combat. You have to be ready at all times, for anything. He'd knocked me down three times, and I was super tired. He knew that, and told me we were done for the day." She met Raph's eyes. "But I wanted to prove to him, and myself, that I could keep going. Keep fighting. So I got up and taunted him, asking him if he was too tired to go again." She paused, and shrugged. "I should've known better. I know he has a temper, and it's hard for him to control it sometimes. But I went after him anyway. I swept his legs out from under him, and that's when he went into ninja mode."

"Ninja mode" was what April had dubbed their fierceness in combat years ago after witnessing a fight. It basically meant that when they fought, they shut down everything but their skills, their natural fighting instincts. Meli had seen them do it, too, when they'd fought Saito and his lizard men in the tunnels. It was something none of them thought about. It just happened. Unfortunately, it wasn't something they could control easily. When they were threatened, or someone they cared about was threatened, it was an immediate response.

"He knew he was working with _you_, though. It's no excuse for what he did," Leo snapped.

"Enough, Leonardo." Splinter spiked the floor with his staff. He rubbed his chin, eyeing his two oldest sons and Meli. "Meli, do you trust Raphael?"

"Of course!" Her answer was instant, and she nodded vigorously. "I know he'd never, ever hurt me on purpose. Like I said, I knew better, but I let my own pride get in the way of common sense. I know better than to taunt any of them like that."

"But he's the one training you. He should've been able to keep a lid on his temper, no matter what you said or did," Leo argued. He glared at Raph. "It's not like she's a threat, or an enemy ninja or something, Raph."

"I know that." Raph was barely able to keep his words sounding civil. "And I'm sorry. It won't happen again. I know it shouldn't have happened in the first place." He looked at Meli, and saw the anguish in her eyes over the whole thing. "I'm sorry, Meli. I didn't mean to go all ninja mode on you. It won't happen again. I promise."

"No, it won't, because you're not training her anymore." Leo took a half-step in front of Meli. "I'm taking over now."

"Leo-"

"No. He had his shot at it, and he blew it." Leo cut Meli off, and Raph saw anger flash through her eyes.

"That's not fair," she argued, and Leo turned to her, but not before Raph saw the irritation in his older brother's eyes.

"It is fair. His job was to train you in self-defense, not hurt you. Since he couldn't do that, your training isn't his job any more. It's simple," Leo told her. His voice was hard, daring anyone to contradict him. He swung his gaze back to Raph, who mentally flinched from the ice in Leo's eyes. "I don't want you teaching her anything, Raphael. Is that clear?"

"It's not your decision, Leo." Meli stepped around to face him, her chin tilted upward at a defiant angle. "It's _my_ training. If I want Raph to do it, he will." She looked over her shoulder at Raph. "Right?"

Raph kept his eyes on her. "Yeah."

"Meli-"

"It is Meli's decision." Splinter's voice cut through Leo's, and Leo huffed out an angry breath. "She trusts Raphael to keep training her, and that's what he should do."

"But he _hurt_ her, Sensei!" Leo's blue eyes were filled with heat and passion. "I can't just stand by and let it happen again. She's my responsibility."

"Leo." Meli reached out and gently took his face in her small hands. "Listen to me. Raph is the best one to train me. You agreed to that. Yes, I got hurt. But you know what? I'm tough. You've said so yourself. This was an accident, and it's my fault it happened, anyway. He's teaching me how to protect myself, in case you guys aren't there when I need you." She spoke softly. "You need to let this go. I _want_ you to let this go. Please."

He looked like he really wanted to argue, or at the very least complain, but didn't do either. Instead, he sighed and closed his eyes. When he opened them a few seconds later, he was calmer. More centered. "Okay. But you have to promise me that you won't taunt him into doing something like that again. You need to know, and respect, your limits. _He_ needs to respect your limits." Leo lifted his head and looked Raph in the eyes. "You have to take care of her, Raph."

Raph nodded. "I know, and I will. This won't happen again. I promise." The words were very heartfelt, and he saw that Leo understood that. Meli turned from Leo and smiled at him, and he held his arms out to her. She instantly moved into his embrace, and he held her tight. "I'm sorry," he whispered into her ear.

"I know. Me too," she whispered back. He gave her a quick squeeze and let go.

"So...now that we'll all good again, can we eat lunch?" Mikey asked. Donnie groaned and reached out to bop him across the back of the head. "Ouch! I'm hungry," Mikey complained.

"I could eat," Raph said. He sincerely hoped that this was all behind them now. Leo wasn't one for grudges, and Meli wasn't either.

"I believe it is Donatello's turn to make lunch," Splinter said. His mouth twitched at the corners, and Donnie sighed.

"It is, Sensei. I'll go start making something." Donnie started out of the room.

"Something? Maybe I'd better help," Mikey said and followed him out. Raph smirked as he heard the two bickering.

Splinter looked at his remaining children, and smiled gently. "Sometimes it is difficult to forgive, yet forgiving allows us to move forward." He looked directly at Leo, whose face reddened. "I understand your concerns, Leonardo. We all want Meli to be safe. By letting Raphael continue to train her, you are allowing her to move forward with her desire to learn self-defense." His voice was soft, and Raph knew their father was pleased with the outcome of the argument. He was, too. If Leo had held his ground, and not allowed him to work with Meli anymore, he would've argued, fought, even, for the chance to train her again.

"I know, Sensei," Leo said. His voice was even and calm. He held his hand out to Meli, and she quickly took it, stepping to his side. "I just want what's best for her."

"We all do," Raph said. Leo looked at him, and a small smile ghosted across his mouth for a moment. Splinter inclined his head to them all and left the room. Raph rubbed the back of his head. "So..."

"So." Leo looked at him. "Keep training her."

"Okay." Raph eyed Meli. "And you're okay with me doing that? Even after what happened?"

"It wasn't your fault." Meli's voice was soft. "And yes, I'm okay with it. I learned a lot today, probably more than you meant me to." She smiled shyly. "I won't let my pride get in the way again."

Leo squeezed her hand, and she looked up at him. Raph was taken, just for a moment or two, at how perfect they were together. Their difference in size was complimentary, and the way they looked at each other, the way they watched one another when they thought no one else was looking was tribute to how much in love they were. He smiled to himself. No one would ever take him for being a romantic, but even he had the compacity for those types of thoughts. There was a loud yell from the kitchen, and Leo rolled his eyes. "I'd better go rescue Mikey," he said. He lifted Meli's hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it before heading out of his room.

"I'm really sorry, Meli," Raph said. He looked at the floor. If she was going to light into him, let him have it now that they were alone, he would take it. He deserved it. So he was surprised to feel her take his large hand in hers. Looking at her, meeting her eyes, he felt a jolt run through him at the tears in hers. "Meli? What is it?"

"I'm the one who's sorry, Raph. I goaded you, on purpose, into that attack, and you don't deserve what Leo did to you." Her voice was watery, and she reached up with her free hand to gently brush her fingers against his facial wounds. "I mean, I know he was scared, and just trying to protect me, but he shouldn't have touched you."

"It's okay. I'm fine. Really." He was touched by her concern, but it wasn't necessary. He'd taken worse from Leo during their morning sparring sessions. Of course, he was also inflicting his fair share of pain during training, too, but that wasn't the point. He wasn't hurt. "Meli, listen to me. It's fine, okay?"

She searched his eyes, as if looking for confirmation. He smiled, and she let out a soft whoosh of breath. "Okay." He put his arms around her and hugged her, gently, knowing his strength could hurt her.

"We'll pick up training tomorrow," he said. "And you were doing good with the hand-to-hand, considering I didn't even give you any pointers before we started."

"Thanks. I figured you were pushing me hard because the bad guys will push me," she said.

"You're pretty smart," he told her, grinning. "Come on. I'm hungry."

They left Leo's room and headed toward the kitchen. Just as they made to walk in, Donnie walked out, his T-phone stuck to his ear. He was listening intently, an angry look on his face, and they exchanged uneasy glances as they went in. Leo and Mikey were talking in quiet tones, and Raph knew something bad had happened if _Mikey_ was being quiet.

"What's goin' on?" he asked, resting one hand on the back of a chair. Meli stood next to him, her eyes locked on Leo.

"He's talking to April. Another girl was murdered. The police think it just happened." Leo looked at Meli, and there was sympathy in his gaze. "From the description, we think it's the girl we saw get kidnapped." His voice was low, hollow. Meli let out a small gasp, her hands flying to her chest.

Raph broke down swearing, taking care to do it in Japanese. There was no sense being vulgar with Meli standing right next to him. "We shoulda chased 'em down," he finally said, looking at Leo. "We might've been able to save her."

Leo nodded. "I know." There was sadness in his voice. "Donnie and I are going to get April and bring her back here." He looked at Meli. "You two need to stay here until we stop the criminals doing this."

"I should go back to the Trove and pack," she said. "And put a sign up so people know I'll be closed for awhile."

"Okay." Leo nodded. "Raph, you can go with Donnie. Mikey and I will take Meli back to the Trove."

"So let's go then," Raph said. His appetite had disappeared; he figured everyone else's had, too. "Does Splinter know?"

"No, not yet. He went for a walk," Leo said. He glanced at Mikey; the youngest brother was slumped in a chair, his chin cupped in his hands. "We'll catch them, Mikey."

"Yeah, I know. I just wish that girl was still alive."

The heartbreak in Mike's voice made Raph see red. Even though he liked to tease Mikey, and beat up on him, he loved his little brother. No one else was allowed to hurt him, or be mean to him. "Me too, Mikey," he said. _If my aim had been better, I might've blown one of their tires._ But Leo had always been the one skilled with the throwing stars, and he'd been too busy saving Meli's life. It was times like these that he wished they weren't heroes, that they didn't care about the humans that roamed the streets above them. _Such a waste. Maybe she was someone's sister, or girlfriend. Maybe even a wife, or a mom._ Raph closed his eyes, seeking to find some semblance of calm. If he didn't, he was going to punch something.

"If I'd heard her sooner..." The words tumbled out of Meli's mouth, half-choked by a small sob. Raph reached around her and drew her tight to his side.

"It's not your fault, Meli." Leo shook his head. "It's not any of our faults. It was beyond our control." Though he said it in a calm voice, he reached out and slammed a fist down on the table, making Meli and Mikey jump. "But it won't happen again. Not on our watch."

Donnie came back in, a grim expression on his face. "April said the police are advising all women, especially younger ones, to stay inside after dark." He hung his T-phone back on his belt. "This has to stop. I think April's scared, and she's never scared."

"She'll be safe once we get her here," Leo told him. "And then we're staying on the roofs until morning, so that this doesn't happen to any other girl." His eyes rested briefly on Meli, and Raph could see the fear glinting in them. He tightened his arm around Meli reflexively, feeling her lean hard into him. It reminded him of the day when the curse had attacked them here in the lair, of how she'd pushed herself into him as the curse howled and screamed all around them.

"Won't be dark for awhile yet," he said. "Should we just go get April?" He hated the thought of her waiting alone in her and Kirby's house, especially if she was afraid. _And I hate that she's afraid. _

Leo and Donnie looked at each other. "We can," Leo said, nodding. "We'll just stay on the roofs. New Yorkers don't look up."

"Okay. I'll tell her to get ready." Donnie turned away, already dialing April's number on his phone.

"Splinter's taking a walk, and I don't think you should come with us," Leo told Meli. "Mikey, why don't you stay here with her? It won't take the three of us long to get April."

"But what about the Trove?" Meli asked.

"Right." Leo sighed. "I guess you should come along then." It was clear he didn't like that solution, but there wasn't any getting around it, either. "Raph, go with Donnie. Be careful. Mikey and I will take Meli."

Raph smirked. "Isn't that exactly what you said about ten minutes ago?"

Leo scowled. "Maybe. Just get to it." He walked around the table, and Raph let Meli go so she could step into his brother's outstretched arms.

"Okay, Raph. April will be waiting." Donnie gestured to the door. Raph nodded.

"You three be careful," he said, meeting Leo's eyes.

"We will. You too."

Donnie jogged out of the kitchen and Raph followed. As they were about to clear the turnstiles, Donnie suddenly turned to him and gave him a once-over. "You sure you feel okay to go?"

Raph rolled his eyes. "Please, Donnie. I take worse beatings during morning sparring."

Donnie seemed unsure until Raph vaulted the turnstiles and turned back to him. "See? I'm fine. Now let's go. You know how impatient your girlfriend gets."

"Okay." Donnie followed suit and the two brothers jogged down the tunnel. They were quiet now, and Raph was glad for the peace. He didn't spend a lot of time with just Donnie; usually he was paired with Leo when they were patrolling, and that was just fine with him. He supposed it was mostly because he didn't get Donnie. The turtle in purple was super intelligent, and Raph knew Don was always thinking about a hundred different things at once, and making sense of them. That so wasn't _him._

Fifteen minutes later they were running across the rooftops. It was the end of January, and the sunlight glinted off the snow that had fallen the night before. Raph let Donnie take point, and was just enjoying the feel of the snow against his feet when they heard a girl scream. Flashing back to earlier that morning, he veered off toward the edge of the building, Donnie doing the same. As they peered over the side, they saw a pretty girl with honey-blonde hair being backed into an alley that both knew was a dead-end.

Rage flushed through Raph. "Hey!" he yelled and jumped down, landing and using a fire escape as a spring board to the ground. He heard Donnie right behind him. "Hey!" he yelled again and took off after the three guys chasing the girl into the alley. One of them immediately whirled around, an assault rifle in his hands. Raph swore and took a flying leap, landing on top of the guy.

"Grab her!" one of the other men yelled, and Raph heard the girl hurling insults at the two men. Donnie rushed past him, his bo staff whirling in his hands. One of the men cried out and Raph looked to see him down, cradling his head. The girl was backed against the end of the alley, her eyes wide. But she didn't look scared of Donnie.

Raph made sure the gunman was out and jumped to his feet, his sais in his hands as he ran to help his brother with the last guy. He put himself in front of the girl. Donnie whipped his staff around and swept the last guy's legs out from beneath him, and he landed on his back. "Stay down," Donnie ordered, holding the end of the staff to the man's neck. When the man tried to get up, Donnie used a pressure point to knock him out.

About to turn to the girl to see if she was okay, Raph heard the sound of sirens and whipped his head around. Two NYPD cars were nose-to-nose at the front of the alley. _That's our cue to run._ He motioned to Donnie, who nodded and leapt for the hanging fire escape. As Raph was about to follow him, the girl reached out and touched his arm, and it felt like an electric shock jolting his entire body. In astonishment he met her eyes, which were light green. "Thank you," she said. "You saved my life." Her voice was husky and soft, and a shiver ran through him. She then leaned forward and pressed her lips to his cheek. Raph thought his head was going to explode. Before he could say anything, the police officers were yelling, and he turned and jumped, catching the bottom rung of the fire escape and hauling himself upward as fast as he could. Reaching the top of the building, he glanced back down and saw her watching him. She waved, and he nodded to her before the cops started escorting her out of the alley.

"Raph. Raphael." Donnie's voice had an impatient ring to it. "Come on. We need to get to April's."

"April. Right." Raph wasn't sure what he'd just said, or even what Donnie had said. _She wasn't even scared of me, of us. Was that how Meli was with Leo?_ Leo had said Meli hadn't been frightened of him at all the first time they'd met, in a similar situation, no less, but Raph hadn't believed him. Not until he'd met Meli himself and found how comfortable she was with them, how accepting.

"Raphael." Donnie's voice was hot now, and he punched Raph in the arm. "Let's _go_."

"Alright, gees. Relax, will ya? Just go. I'm right behind you," Raph said, a growl in his voice. Donnie gave him an odd look and turned to start racing across the roof. Raph followed, but his mind wasn't on the task at hand. His cheek still tingled where the girl had kissed it, and he found that he liked the sensation. When he reached the end of the roof, he had to check himself before jumping over. Donnie was already leaping across the next gap, and Raph pushed himself faster.

They got to April's two minutes later, and she was waiting just inside the door. Donnie hugged her, and talked in soothing tones to her. Raph hung back outside, giving them a moment. He'd normally tease them both, but it didn't seem appropriate this time. April stepped out and he opened his arms to her, hugging her close to his plastron. "You okay?" he asked, looking down at her.

"Now that you guys are here," she said. "Is Meli at the lair?"

"Yeah. Well, she was. Leo and Mikey are taking her to the Trove to put up signs that it'll be closed for awhile," Raph told her.

"Good." April turned to Donnie. "Let's go."

Raph exchanged a look with Donnie. April didn't quite sound like herself. She sounded nervous, afraid. Donnie reached out to touch her arm. "April, what is it?"

She looked down at the ground, and rubbed the toe of her black boot along the pavement, making trails in the snow. "I ran to the store earlier this morning. The one that's over a couple of blocks. Anyway, there were some guys there, hanging around outside. They, um, followed me back here. They kept their distance, but they kept calling out to me." She sighed. "I'm not sure I could've fought them. It was a big group."

Donnie reached out to take her chin and turn her head to face him. "You should've called me. I would've came."

"I know. But I didn't want to take a chance on someone seeing you." She chuckled, but it laughed humor. "I guess it didn't matter. You're here now."

"Come on. Let's get back home." Raph was feeling edgy now, knowing that someone had followed April back to her house. She and Donnie headed across the street and he followedm, making sure no one saw them. As they climbed up the fire escape to start the way home, his mind drifted to the girl in the alley. _I hope she's okay. I didn't get a chance to make sure they hadn't hurt her._ Her well-being meant something to him, which caught him off-guard a little. Not that he didn't care about those they protected, but this particular girl meant a lot more. _I couldn't forgive myself if I'd let her get hurt._

When they reached the lair, he headed to the kitchen, needing something to drink. Mikey had texted Donnie and said they were bringing back pizza, so no one would have to worry about cooking. He grabbed an ice water from the fridge and drained half of it. Donnie and April had headed to the lab, and he didn't want to disturb them. _Video games it is, then._ He went out to the pit and turned on the X-box, then put a fighting game in, his favorite kind to play. But even his favorite game couldn't stave off his thoughts about the blonde girl. _Green eyes. I like green eyes._ He groaned at the waywardness of his thoughts. If his brothers knew he was obsessing over a girl, they'd never let him hear the end of it. And Meli and April would probably be super excited. With a loud sigh he threw down the controller, shut off the system and TV, and headed to the dojo. If he couldn't get her out of his head with a game, maybe he could with punches.


	5. Taken

I don't own TMNT or its associated characters. Meli Tompkins is mine, though.

Thank you for reading _Confidence_. I'm excited to expand on the characters and further Meli's relationships with her new family.

CONFIDENCE

CHAPTER FIVE: TAKEN

"Ready?" Leo asked, and Meli nodded. She'd hung up a sign on the front door saying the Trove was going to be closed for a week, and had packed a second backpack.

"I'm set," she said. Mikey had been playing the 360 while she got ready, and he now shut the system down and got off the couch.

"Pizza time," he announced with a grin.

"I ordered it twenty minutes ago, so it should be here about now," Meli said. Her stomach rumbled, and both boys grinned at her. She flushed, though she wasn't really embarrassed. They'd all been together long enough that it took more than a hungry stomach for her to feel weird around them. There was a knock at the back door, and she went to open it, aware that although Leo wasn't in sight of the delivery guy, he was waiting close, just inside her bedroom.

It was indeed the pizza guy, and she quickly paid him for the four large pizzas. She closed the door and felt someone bump into her from behind. "Mikey, no. We have to wait until we back to the lair," she reminded him. He sighed impatiently.

"That's a long time," he told her.

"Well, we're going right now," Leo said. He moved past both of them and checked outside the door. "All clear. Come on." With the pizza boxes, it was harder to run across the roofs, but it was the only option open to them, since it wasn't night. He turned to Meli, took the pizza from her, and passed it to Mikey. "Don't drop them."

Mikey gave him a wounded look. "I won't. You know how I love my pizza." He hugged the boxes closer to him. "Pepperoni, yum," he said. It sounded like a prayer, and Meli giggled.

Leo rolled his eyes and led the way out, being overly-cautious. Meli knew why, but she also wished he wouldn't worry quite so much about her. They went up the fire escape and across the roof. Snow blew over it, the white crystals dancing around them. She shivered. "You should've worn your heavy coat," Leo gently admonished her.

"I know, but I knew we wouldn't be outside long," she said. She tugged her Mets sweatshirt down further.

"Come here." Leo held his arms out, and she stepped into them. He scooped her up against his chest and leapt across the gap in the buildings, landing softly in the snow on the other side. He looked back. "Mikey, come on!"

"I'm coming." Mikey had been busy sniffing the boxes, but he now charged toward them, jumping the gap and sliding past them. "Uh, bro!" he yelled. Leo set Meli down and chased after Mikey, just managing to grab the pizza boxes before Mikey dropped them. "Whew, that was close," Mikey said, his eyes wide. "Good catch, Leo."

"Didn't I warn you not to drop them like a minute ago?" Leo asked. But there was no irritation in his voice, and he reached out to give his baby brother a pat on the shell. "Just remember to gauge for the snow, okay?"

"Okay." Mikey beamed at him, and Meli walked up to both brothers. She was always amazed at how good they could get along when they wanted to. The snow was coming down harder now, blotting out the sunshine, and she shivered more violently this time, catching Leo's eye. He frowned and hugged her to him, rubbing her back.

"We need to get you back to the lair before you freeze," he said. He picked her up again and looked at Mikey. "Remember, soft landings, or you'll slide."

"No problemo." Mikey nodded nonchalantly.

Leo turned and raced for the other side of the building. Just before he reached the takeoff point, his left foot slid a little, and he clutched Meli tightly as he pushed off. She squeezed her eyes closed, hanging on as hard as she could to him. He'd never misjudged a jump before, or had trouble with the takeoff, and it was a frightening experience for her as he landed roughly on the other side, sliding in the snow just as Mikey had done. Coming to a stop, he looked down at her, his eyes wide with concern. "You okay?"  
She nodded, her voice not operational right then. He gave her a squeeze as Mikey trotted over to them. "You guys okay?" he asked.

"We're okay. I slid right before I jumped," Leo explained. He looked at Meli. "Ready to try that again? It's the last one."

"I'm ready," she said. This time, Leo's leap was clean and solid, and they were soon climbing down the fire escape to run to the manhole cover. Leo went first so he could lift it. He waved them forward, and Meli climbed down into the darkness before them. Mikey followed, and Leo went last. Meli had clicked her flashlight on and held it on the bottom of the ladder so the boys could see where they were putting their feet. Leo took her hand and they started toward the lair. Mikey, impatient to get there so he could eat, sprinted away from them, and Meli was glad to be alone with her boyfriend. "Promise me you'll be careful tonight?" she asked. Her voice was soft.

He squeezed her hand. "As much as I can be, yes."

"Not too convincing," she said.

"Sorry. But you know if we see something, we'll have to investigate. And if someone's in danger..." He didn't need to finish.

"I know." As much as she loved him for who he was, there were times she wished he wasn't a ninja. Those times were very rare, and only lasted for a second, but she hated the thought of him lying wounded in the street or on a roof somewhere, unable to get help.

"Hey." Leo stopped and turned her to face him. "You know we take care of each other. If one of us gets hurt, there're three more to get help." He seemed to reconsider his words. "And until we get these criminals put away, there'll be four more."

"April really won't stay at the lair, will she?" Meli asked.

"No. But she's tough, and a good fighter."

She smiled at him. "And you four always make sure she's nowhere near the really dangerous fighting, right?"

Leo tapped the end of her nose. "You're so smart. And that's right." He started walking again. "We really do love having her come out with us, but none of could stand to see her get seriously hurt."

Meli mulled that over. She could only imagine how angry the turtles would be if something did happen to April, especially on their watch. _They're so protective. It's very sweet, but sometimes I think maybe a little _too_ protective._ She'd never tell any of them that, though. It would either hurt their feelings, or make them upset. There was a noise in the tunnel behind them, and Leo instantly turned, putting Meli behind him. It was so instinctive, that need to protect, that Meli knew he didn't even do it consciously. He just did it. They waited, both silent. Meli could hear her heart hammering. There was another small sound, and she trained her flashlight on the floor beyond Leo's feet.

A small sphere rolled into the light. Leo twisted around in one lightning-fast move, grabbed her and ran. Behind them, an explosion went off. It shook the floor. The pipes in the ceiling burst, spraying ice-cold water over everything. Chunks of the ceiling fell, and Leo cuddled her closer to his chest even as a second blast threw him forward, off his feet. He rolled, keeping Meli tucked in safely to his plastron. Heat roared over them, and Meli squeezed her eyes shut as tightly as she could, burying her face against Leo.

It was quiet. She tried to lift her head, but Leo's grip on her prevented it. "Leo?" she whispered. He moved, groaned, and lifted his head to stare down at her.

"You alright?" he asked. His voice was hoarse. Water was still gushing from the pipes and rising. Pieces of the ceiling fell sporadically, and smoke wafted down the tunnel.

"I-I think so. You?" she said. He'd taken the brunt of the blast, and she worried that he'd been burned or worse.

"Yeah, I think so." He gingerly rolled backward into a crouched position. "I don't think I'm hurt bad."

She sat up and let him check her over. The water was lapping at her knees, and she shuddered as a violent memory of being swept down a tunnel in a flood with Raph assaulted her mind. _No. No, don't think about it. This isn't the same. _But another shiver ripped through her, and her eyes filled with fear.

"Meli." Leo pulled her against him. "Shh. Its okay, love. We're okay." He rubbed her back with soothing circles.

"The water," she whispered.

"It's not going to flood," he assured her. "It shouldn't rise much more than past our knees. I think the only pipes that broke were the ones directly around us," he added.

"Okay," she whispered, nodding against him. He eased away from her and surveyed the tunnel. Behind them, toward the manhole they used, the tunnel was in bad shape. The walls had caved in, and it was hard to see past the lingering dust. Ahead of them, as Meli shone her flashlight that way, they could see that the ceiling was still falling here and there. "Where did that explosive come from?" she asked.

"I don't know." Leo rubbed a hand across the back of his head. "Someone was following us." He turned back the way they'd just come, and Meli could tell he wanted to investigate.

"Is it safe?" she whispered.

"Not sure." He reached for her flashlight; she let him take it, and he moved off a few steps before glancing back at her. "Stay there, okay? I'll be right back."

She nodded and watched him go. A chill swept through her, and she pulled her sweatshirt closer around her. _Something isn't right. Something is off._ She was about to call out to Leo, when she heard another small sound behind her. _No, no, no..._"Leo!" The scream erupted from her just as another small explosive device went off, throwing her several feet forward. She hit the dirt hard, her body bouncing off the ground. Something heavy fell across her, and the breath in her lungs whooshed out all at once.

"Meli!" Leo's frantic cry cut through the ringing in her ears, but she was unable to call out. Whatever had fallen across her was crushing her, and she couldn't gather any more air to talk. "Meli!" His voice rose in panic, and she wanted to cry out to him, but couldn't. There was the sound of someone pushing away debris, and then she felt his hands on her shoulders, on her head. He swore loudly under his breath. "Stay calm. I'll get this thing off you," he said. She heard him grunt in effort, and then the heaviness was gone, and she gasped, trying to suck air into her lungs. But the air was thick with grit and smoke, and she choked on it, coughing. "Easy, love. Slow breaths," Leo coached. He stroked her hair, and when she finally caught her breath, he eased her up into his arms and held her close. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" he asked.

"I-I don't know," she said. Her voice was shaky, and he looked her over carefully before hugging her to his plastron again. As he held her, rubbing her back, and murmuring to her in soothing tones, tears crowded the corners of her eyes. A small sob bubbled up from her throat, and she pushed her face into his chest.

"It's okay, love. We're okay. We'll get out of this," Leo said. He kissed her forehead, her cheek, her collar bone. "I promise." She nodded against his chest, and he tipped her chin up, searching her eyes. "I mean it, Meli. We're going to be all right," he said. His voice was firm.

"I know," she whispered. She didn't want to cry, but couldn't seem to stop the tears. Leo said nothing else; he simply held her close, and rocked her gently. Around them, it was quiet. Smoke and debris drifted in the air. Meli was sure she looked like a wreck, but didn't care. When she was able to stop the tears, and felt stronger, she eased back from Leo's chest and looked at him. "Are we trapped?"

"I need to check." He touched her cheek. "You okay here for a second?"

"Yeah." She figured it couldn't get any worse. Leo got to his feet; he still had the flashlight, and he walked a few feet toward the way to the lair. Meli watched the beam of light as he shone it around the tunnel, and her heart sank as she saw how much of the walls had caved in. Leo turned and walked back past her, going the other way. She followed his course, and saw the same thing in the other direction. _It looks like we're completely cut off. _Terror threatened to well up, and she forced it back down. This was no time for her to go all girly and panic - she and Leo needed to keep their heads. She had no doubt he would.

He came back to her and knelt beside her. His eyes were narrowed, and his demeanor was solemn. "It looks like whoever did this wanted us trapped," he said. "The debris goes all the way to the ceiling, or what's left of it. I'm not sure I can get us out."

"Can we use the T-phones to call the others?" she asked. Leo looked at his belt.

"I lost mine in the first explosion," he said. "You have yours?"

Meli felt around for it, and pulled out a handful of bits and pieces for him. "Well...no," she said. She checked her other pocket, and discovered her panic button was in also in tiny pieces. She showed that to him as well. Leo's face darkened.

"Okay." He said nothing else, and she let him gather his thoughts. The water was still rising, but not as fast, and she shuddered, cold. Leo reached for her and drew her into his arms. He was solid and warm, and she took heart in the fact that he would do whatever he could to keep them safe, to get them out of this. "I'm going to see if I can get up on the pipes. If I can, maybe we can use them to crawl over the wreckage."

"Okay." She nodded and he got to his feet, walking over to the wall. He looked up, and jumped suddenly, grabbing onto the overhead pipe. It creaked and groaned, and gave way. He leapt down and away as the pipe crashed right behind him. Water gushed out of it at a fast rate. Meli's heart jumped in pain. That was not something she wanted to see.

"So that's out." Leo moved to her side, and his voice was hard with anger.

"Is there any way out through the walls that crumbled?"

"Not that I could see." He sighed in frustration. "Whoever planned this knew exactly what they were doing."

Meli wished there were something she could say or do to make the situation better, but didn't think there was. They were trapped, in a relatively small space, and water was gushing in and rising up past their knees. Leo took her hand and led her over to a large chunk of ceiling, put his hands around her waist, and lifted her atop the cement. She gave him a tremulous smile. "Don't worry," he said, his voice soft. "We'll get out of this. I'll think of something."

"I know. I trust you," she said. And because everything was so grim and dark, and she couldn't think of anything else to brighten things up, she slipped her arms around his neck, tugged him closer, and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her, and his kiss was deep. Meli melted against him, and for a few seconds, they were both far away from their current stressful situation. But it couldn't go on forever, and Leo drew back, reluctance in his eyes.

"I needed that," he said. His voice was husky, and there was a twinkle in his blue eyes that Meli was ecstatic to see. He hugged her. "Everything will be okay. I know they heard those explosions from the lair, so the others should be coming anytime."

"What about the water?" She couldn't help mentioning it again; her fear of it was deeply-ingrained after what had happened two months ago.

"It won't rise much more. A lot of it will seep through the debris and run off," he told her. "You warm enough?"

"I'll live." She didn't want to worry him more than he already was, but she was cold. The water had soaked through her clothes, and she tried not to shiver too much. Leo held her for several moments, rubbing her arms and her back. She looked around their confined area, wondering who would've wanted them trapped. _Someone followed us into the tunnels. And they got ahead of us, too, to set off that second explosive._ But who would know the tunnel systems down here? _Saito, maybe? _She inhaled sharply and Leo hugged her tighter, feeling her immediate tension. "Do you think Saito might've done this?" she whispered.

He pulled back so he could see her face. "I don't know. Just trapping you and I like this, it's possible. His grudge is against us, not really the rest of the family." He touched her cheek, the one Saito had raked with his claws, keeping his eyes locked on hers. "He won't hurt you again. I won't let him." His tone was fierce and protective.

"I know." She sighed. "We won't be able to come this way for awhile."

"No, we'll have to use alternative tunnels. But Donnie has them all mapped, so that won't be a problem," he said. They heard a noise and both swung around, toward the way they'd come. Some small rocks rolled off the huge mound of cement and dirt, and Meli shuddered. They heard muffled noises coming from the far side of the mound, and Leo instinctively reached for her hand, holding it securely within his larger one. He motioned to her to stay quiet.

From behind them, they suddenly heard noises, too, and then far-off voices. Leo turned, and a look of relief crossed his face. "That would be our brothers," he told her. But the intensity of noise from the other direction picked up, and Meli wondered if the boys would be able to get them in time. A mechanical roar filled the tunnel, and she squeezed Leo's hand hard. "Climb," he told her. "We might be able to squeeze out at the top if the guys can dig it out." They started up the pile of debris, slipping and sliding. The mound of dirt and cement across from them shifted forward, and the noise of the machine grew much louder. Meli looked at Leo, sure that her eyes reflected the fear she was feeling. "Dig," he directed her. She nodded and began scrabbling away at the debris, praying that their brothers were doing the same on the other side.

The air was becoming thicker with each passing second as the machine on the far side of the other mountain of dirt pushed it inward. Meli coughed, feeling unable to draw a normal breath. Leo glanced at her. "Just keep digging," he directed. His voice wasn't harsh; there simply wasn't time for him to fuss over her as he usually would. Her hands were dark with dirt and mud, and her knuckles bled from scraping them on the pieces of cement mixed into the dirt. She wondered if they were getting any closer to the other side. A loud crash reverberated behind them, and they both looked back to see the headlights of the digging machine shining through the dust. Meli's heart beat so hard it hurt.

"Leo! Meli!" Donnie's frantic voice caught them off-guard, and they turned back to see that their brothers had managed to clear away a small section near the ceiling. Donnie held his hand out. "Come on," he urged.

"Take it," Leo directed. Meli looked back; the machine had crested the other mound of dirt, and she saw several black-clad ninjas scurrying through the hole it had made. Her eyes widened in fear and panic.

"Look!" she cried out, her voice rough with dust. Leo looked back over his shoulder and growled something under his breath. He met Meli's terrified gaze.

"Go with them," he said, and took her hand, nestling it inside of Donnie's strong outstretched one. "Donnie, pull!" His brother complied, but Meli resisted, pulling back.

"I'm not leaving you," she said. Her voice trembled, but she wouldn't budge on this. She couldn't just leave him with the ninjas coming on.

"No choice." He leaned forward, pressed his mouth firmly to hers. She kissed him back just as fiercely, and felt him suddenly shove her forward while Donnie tugged on her hand. Before she could stop her momentum, she was through the opening the boys had made, and sliding face-first into Raph's outstretched arms.

"Leo!" she yelled, trying to get away from Raph and back across the dirt hill to help her boyfriend. But she saw that he had pushed the opening closed, effectively sealing himself in with the enemy. "No!"

They could all hear the clanging of metal on metal, and a few shouts, but then the noise died away, and silence stretched over the tunnel. Meli looked up into Raph's horrified eyes, and threw her arms around his neck, clinging to him in desperation. He held her tight to his plastron, one hand coming up to cup the back of her head. She pressed her face into his shoulder, shudders vibrating through her entire body. She could hear Donnie and Mikey digging away at the opening they'd made.

"We're through," Donnie said. She lifted her head in time to see both boys disappear through the hole, and tried to follow. Raph resisted.

"Raph, let me go!"

"No." He held her tighter. "Let them see what happened." His voice was dark with fear, and she relaxed into his hold, knowing he wouldn't relent. They heard Donnie and Mikey calling out for Leo, and then Mikey's head reappeared in the hole.

"He's gone." His voice was low, and his sky-blue eyes, normally so full of life and passion, were dead. He moved down the dirt hill, making room for Donnie to follow him. Donnie shimmied through the hole and looked at Raph.

"Everyone's gone. They left the big machine they used, but that's it." His voice was low and forlorn. Meli's breath hitched in her chest, and Raph gave her a squeeze. "Did you see who it was, Meli?" Donnie asked.

She nodded. "Ninjas in black. They were dressed like Saito's men." _Saito. Oh, Leo..._

"Let's get back to the lair," Raph said. He slid down the dirt mound, holding Meli's hand and taking care to keep her upright. When they hit the floor of the tunnel, he immediately went into a quick jog.

Meli kept up, but she lacked any sort of spirit. Leo was gone. Her boyfriend had willingly given himself up to keep her safe. They'd both known who the ninjas belonged to, and yet he hadn't hesitated. He'd closed off his only hope of help to keep them from going through the hole after her. She felt sobs welling up deep within her and held them down. This was no time to cry. They had to get to the lair and formulate a plan of attack. She had no doubt that Donnie was already doing so in his head. April met them at the turnstiles, and Meli knew the instant her surrogate sister had counted everyone. Her blue eyes widened in horror, and she turned to Donnie, seeking reassurance that he wasn't going to be able to give.

"Leo?" April said.

Donnie put his hands on her shoulders. "Saito's ninjas took him," he said. She covered her mouth with her hands, and looked at Meli, who was barely able to keep the tears at bay. If April said anything, they were going to flood.

"Oh, Meli..." April moved toward her, her arms reaching out, and Meli fell into them as her tears cascaded down her cheeks. "Don't worry. We'll get him back," April whispered. Her assurance was nice, but it rang hollow in Meli's ears. No one knew what Saito would do with him. Leo was tough and strong, but he was alone, with a psychopath.

"Raphael? What happened? Where is Leonardo?" Splinter walked up the steps leading to the turnstiles. He looked at Meli, and back at Raph.

"Saito's men took him, Sensei." Raph's voice was hard as steel. He nodded toward Meli. "We're not sure what happened yet, but Leo was able to get Meli out to us before they attacked him."

Meli pulled out of April's arms and turned to face her family. "We were walking, and heard a noise behind us. A small explosive device was rolled toward us and went off, barricading the end of the tunnel behind us. Then a second one went off ahead of us, trapping us." She paused, sniffling. "Saito's men used some sort of digging machine to get to us, and Leo made me go with you guys."

"He wanted you to be safe," Donnie said quietly.

"I know, but now he's all alone. And we all know how crazy Saito is," she said. She looked down at the floor. "It's my fault. I should've gone with them, and—" She was abruptly cut off as Raph grabbed her by the upper arms.

"It's _not_ your fault," he said. His tone was cold and grim. "No one gets blame except for Saito. _He_ did this. He took Leo away." He stopped and looked at Donnie and Mikey. "And we're going to find him and bring Leo home."

"Yes we are," Donnie said, nodding. His voice was brimming with anger and determination.

"Yeah, and when we find Saito, we're going to _hurt_ him," Mikey added. His eyes were no longer empty – they now radiated with intense fury.

Meli and April exchanged looks. They were both very well-aware of how fiercely devoted to one another the boys were. Nothing would stop them from finding and rescuing Leo. Meli took comfort in that, but she was worried. If Saito decided to enact his revenge on Leo, would they find him in time?

"We go tonight," Raph said. "We'll check everywhere that we think Saito might be. We'll stop by the Dragons' hangouts and talk to them." He smacked one fist into the other. "Someone has to know something." His eyes blazed with liquefied green fire, and Meli shivered. In fact, she couldn't stop shivering. Her clothes were soaking wet and muddy, and she felt hot beneath all the grime. Raph's eyes landed on her, and his demeanor swiftly changed as he wrapped an arm around her. "You're freezing," he said. His voice was low now, and soft. "Come on. You need a hot shower and something warm to drink." He shot a look at Donnie and April, who nodded and turned for the kitchen. He steered her to the bathroom.

She shook off her backpack and turned to face him. "Thank you, Raph," she whispered.

He tipped her chin up. "We'll find him, Meli. I promise." He leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Get cleaned up and we'll eat."

Nodding, she slipped inside the bathroom before her tears started up again. Undressing, she quickly got into the shower and let the steaming hot water run down her, taking with it the dirt and mud. She trusted in Raph, Donnie, and Mikey. They _would_ get Leo back, just as Raph had promised. _I just hope he's okay. He _has_ to be okay._ As she continued letting the water steam off her, she repeated the words in her mind. _Please be okay. Please be okay..._


	6. Jumped

I do not own TMNT or its associated characters. Meli Tompkins is mine, however.

Thank you for all the reviews, favorites, and follows. They make my day :-)

CONFIDENCE

CHAPTER SIX: JUMPED

Raph waited outside the bathroom for Meli. He rubbed a hand across his eyes; they were irritated with the dust from the caved-in tunnel. He told himself that none of the moisture in them resulted from the kidnapping of his big brother. _They took him. And we couldn't do a damn thing about it._ Anger, mixed with fear, swelled through him. Meli had been positive it was Saito's men, and that wasn't good, considering his grudge against Leo and Meli.

The bathroom door opened, and Meli stepped out. Her dark hair curled damply around her face, and when she looked up at him, Raph saw fear in her hazel eyes. He reached gently around her and hugged her, not sure what he could say to make things better. She hugged him tightly for a moment and then stepped back. "Thanks," she whispered. He nodded and took her hand, leading her toward the kitchen. The others were inside, and April came over to put her arm around Meli's shoulder and guide her to a chair. Mikey put a plate of pizza in front of her, and Donnie set a can of Coke next to the plate. She smiled tremulously up at all of them. "Thanks, you guys."

"You're welcome," April said. She sat down across from her. "We'll find him, okay?"

"I know." Meli took a drink from the can. "I don't suppose you'd let me come tonight?" She directed the question to Raph, the second-in-command.

"No." Raph shook his head adamantly. "No offense, but you're not ready for runnin' the roofs yet. You'd just slow us up." His voice wasn't unkind, just matter-of-fact. "You can hang here with Splinter."

"Okay." She sounded despondent, and Raph hated that he'd made her feel that way. But keeping her safe was a main concern of his, and he wasn't about to take her along and have her get hurt. It was going to be enough having April with them. He glanced at the redhead. She was tough, and he knew she could handle bad guys. If she couldn't, she wouldn't be going, either.

"Be dark soon," Donnie said. He was fidgeting with some gadget, and Raph wished he could take away the fear in his younger brother's voice. They all knew Leo could handle himself. He was a superb fighter, and tough. Smart. But he was alone, and Raph didn't like that. None of them did. "Are we splitting up, or staying together?"

"Splitting up. We can cover more territory that way," Raph said. "Donnie, you and April stay together and cover all the places where those girls have been kidnapped or murdered. Mikey and I will check out the Dragon's territory, see if any of 'em know anything."

Donnie gave him an appraising look. "You think his kidnapping could be related to the girls?"

Raph shrugged. "I don't want to rule it out. Plus, we need to make sure no one else gets hurt." He knew it was the way Leo would run things, and his brother wouldn't want them to desert the citizens just to look for him. Leo was nothing if not selfless. He looked over at Meli; she was toying with her pizza, and he could see her mind wasn't on eating. He sighed internally. _We have to find Leo. I don't think I can take seeing her like this much longer._ It always made him feel horrible when April or Meli were down or not feeling well. And when they were scared - well, he could barely contain his anger. Protecting his two sisters was not something he took lightly.

Meli pushed away from the table and got up. "Meli, aren't you hungry?" Mikey asked. Worry cracked through his voice. She shook her head.

"No," she said. She bit her lip, and they could see she was trying to hold back tears. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Turning, she ran from the kitchen.

"Meli!" Mikey started to go after her, but Donnie reached out and snagged his arm. "Hey!"

"Raph." Donnie gestured to the door, and Raph nodded. This was something she needed her oldest brother for. He hurried out and saw no trace of her, but there was the soft sound of crying coming from Leo's room. Running in, he saw her curled up on Leo's bed, and his heart pounded painfully in his chest. He hated this.

"Meli." He sat down beside her and settled his hand on her back, rubbing it gently. "We'll find him. I promise."

She sniffed and said, "I know. I just...Saito hates him. What if he..." She couldn't complete her thought; Raph knew exactly what she was thinking, anyway. He squeezed her shoulder.

"We have to believe that won't happen. Leo can handle himself. He's tough," he said. The words sounded hollow to his ears, even though they were true, and he wished there were something else he could say, something he could do, to make her feel better. Meli sat up and pushed into his arms, and he held her close, realizing this was the best he could do. They were quiet for a while then, and he thought about their plans for that night. Donnie would have to be especially careful, what with taking April along into the places the girls had been kidnapped from, but he felt it was safer than taking her to the Dragon's territory. They'd leave no place unsearched. He and Mikey would find some Dragons and make them talk. A giant lizard with a mean streak wasn't likely to go unnoticed among the other bad guys, and someone would have to know something.

"I hate this," Meli whispered a few moments later. "I feel so helpless." She straightened, and Raph let her go, watching her closely. "Maybe I could-"

"No."

"You don't even know what I was going to say," she said, her tone cool.

He shook his head. "I can guess. I know you want to find Leo, but offering yourself up to Saito doesn't help. It would make things worse."

Meli's eyes narrowed a bit. "How so? I go out looking for him, while the rest of you cover me. Then when he takes me, you follow and we rescue Leo." Her tone indicated he didn't dare contradict her.

Except that he did. "Absolutely not. I'm not puttin' you in danger." He started to get up. "I promised you we'd find him, and we will."

"But I have to stay here, where's it safe, while the rest of you risk your lives finding him. How is that fair?" she asked.

He turned to face her, and the threat of more tears in her eyes stilled the frustration that had been building. "Meli, I know what he means to you, okay? He means an awful lot to _all_ of us. But so do you, and if he found out I let you go with us, and something happened to you, he'd never forgive me. I know he wouldn't. So yeah, you're stayin' here, where it's safe." He spoke as gently as he could, and saw that though she wasn't happy with his decision, she at least understood it.

"Okay." She swallowed hard, and for a moment, he thought her tears would win the fight. But she held them back, and he smiled at her.

"Come on. Mikey needs to know you're okay," he said, holding his hand out to her. She nodded and got up, taking it. When he opened the door, he found his youngest brother right outside. "Here ya go," he said, pulling Meli forward and easing her into Mikey's waiting arms. He smirked as Mikey squeezed her tightly.

"Don't be sad, Mel. We'll get him back," Mikey told her.

"I know," Meli said, nodding. She was putting on a brave front, Raph knew, even though she didn't feel brave. He wasn't sure any of them felt particularly brave right then.

"Raph," Donnie called. He looked over by the pit and saw him and April, and knew it was time for them to go. He touched Meli's shoulder.

"Stay here. I mean it," he told her.

"I know."

His eyes slitted. "Promise me, Meli." Unless he heard her say it, he wasn't leaving her.

She sighed. "I promise." Then she took a couple of steps and reached out to take his hands in hers. Her eyes locked on his. "And you promise me that you'll all be careful tonight. And that you'll do your best to find him." She didn't make him promise that they'd find him that night, which was good. Raph wasn't sure they would the first night out.

"I promise," he said. His voice was firm with determination. He gave her a quick hug, and then turned to his two brothers and sister. "Let's go." As they hurried up the steps to the turnstiles, Splinter came out of his room and met them.

"Be careful," their father said. He looked each of them in the eyes. "Do your best to find Leonardo."

"Hai, Father. We will," Raph said. "You and Meli stay safe, too." He wasn't super crazy about leaving their father and her alone in the lair, especially since someone had blown up one of the tunnels leading to it, but he didn't have much choice. And the lair was extremely hard to find, if you didn't know exactly where to look. He didn't dare look at Meli again, and instead vaulted over the turnstiles and raced away from the lair. Donnie ran next to him. "What tunnel do we use?" Raph asked.

"Just follow me," Donnie said and sprinted to the lead. Raph let him go, and tried to focus on their mission for the night. Finding Leo was tantamount, but they would do what they could to protect the women of New York, too. He didn't want any other girls suffering.

Donnie led them through a maze of tunnels that finally ended at a cross-section near the Dragons' favorite hangouts. They eased out of the manhole and ran for the shadows. "Alright, Donnie. You and April see what you can find out. Be careful. If you need us, call," Raph said. His tone was borderline militant, but he didn't care. This mission was too important for them to mess up.

"Okay." Donnie gestured to Raph and Mikey. "You guys be careful, too."

"We will." Raph turned to Mikey. "Alright, Mike, let's go rough up some Dragons." He looked over his shoulder to say something to Donnie, but he and April were already gone, and he put them out of his mind, as much as he could. He and Mikey headed for the pool hall members of the gang frequented.

It was dim inside, like always, but tonight there were fewer Dragons hanging out, and it was quiet. Raph didn't like it. He and Mikey were able to get a foot away from the two members at the bar before they even noticed him. "Turtles!" the heavier of the two yelled, and took a swing at Raph. Raph grabbed his wrist, twisted, and slammed the guy down on the ground. He dropped down on one knee and put his hand on the back of the guy's neck, squeezing just enough to be threatening. Mikey dropped the second Dragon next to him.

"Tell me about Saito," Raph growled close to the guy's ear. The Dragon quit trying to get away. Raph squeezed his neck harder. "You heard me. Tell me what you know."

"Dude, we don't know nothin'!" the man said. "Get off me!"

"Why don't I believe you?" Raph jerked the guy up and got in his face. "You either tell me what you know, or I'm gonna use you for sai practice!" He pulled one of the weapons from his belt and held it up for the man to see.

The man paled and held up his hands. "All I know is he's back in town. Lookin' for that stupid girl he's obsessed with."

"Stupid girl, huh?" Raph jabbed his sai into the guy's stomach, making him squirm. "That 'stupid girl' is a very, very good friend of ours. You understand me? Where is Saito at?"

"I don't know!" the man wailed, and Raph put the sai to his neck.

"Tell me." His tone was frosty. His instincts said these two idiots knew where Saito was, and he wasn't leaving until they'd told him.

"In some warehouse, over by the Jiffy Mart," the other man said. Raph looked down at him, then at Mikey. The gleam of determination in his baby brother's eyes matched the way he held the chain on his nunchuks to the man's throat.

"Alright." Raph threw the man he was holding onto backward and jumped to his feet. "Let's go," he said to Mikey. Mikey got up and they raced out of the hall. "Jiffy Mart. That's about ten blocks from here."

"Better take the roofs," Mikey said. They climbed up the nearest fire escape and took flight across the city skyline. With each step, each leap across a gap in the buildings, Raph's hope of finding their oldest brother grew. He knew it had been dicey to go into the pool hall like they'd done, but they'd had so many fights with the Dragons that none of the people that worked in that part of town seemed to even notice them anymore.

Once they reached the warehouse district, they dropped down onto the street again. The first two buildings they checked out were empty, but the third one seemed promising. They could hear voices inside, and very quietly they slipped through the old beat-up back door. Raph took point, leaving Mikey to guard their flank. As they crept closer, the conversation taking place became clearer, and Raph's blood started boiling. He stopped behind a stack of crates and peered around it. A girl sat in a chair, bound by her wrists and ankles. One of the men standing in front of her slapped her.

"We can do this all night," the man said. His voice was low, even. "But in the end, we'll win, and you'll lose. You might as well just accept that this is your new life."

"Never." The girl's voice rang with fury. "What makes you think you can get away with this? Just kidnapping women off the street for your disgusting purposes? You're all insane."

Raph's eyes narrowed. Her voice was familiar somehow. _Honey-blonde hair...damn._ She had to be the girl he and Donnie had rescued earlier in the day. But how had these goons gotten a hold of her? And what exactly did they intend on doing with her? He peeked around the edge of the crates again.

"We'll get away with it because no one cares about you. Women are a dime a dozen in this city." The man took a step closer to her and reached to touch her hair. She jerked her head away from him. "Such beautiful hair. You're going to fetch a very lovely price for us."

"In your dreams!" she said. She squirmed in the chair, and the man laughed.

"Such a strong spirit. That's admirable. Many men like that." He turned away and nodded at two other men. "Take her to the holding cell. I'm going to go make the arrangement."

"Yes, sir." The bigger of the two men moved behind the girl and took a very sharp knife from inside his boot to cut her bonds. Before the girl could get away, though, the second man grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the chair.

"Dude," Mikey whispered. He was peeking around Raph's shoulder. Raph pushed him back and turned to him. He didn't exactly have a plan, but getting the girl to safety was his utmost concern right then. He hadn't saved her once already that day to watch her get forced into the life of an escort.

"Stay behind me," he whispered to Mikey. Mikey nodded, and Raph turned back to see where the men were taking the girl. He saw them disappearing behind a set of double doors across the room, and after checking for other people, ran across the room and followed with Mikey right behind him. One of them turned, and before he could say anything, Raph punched him out and leapt over his body. The girl tried to turn and Raph pushed past her and grabbed the guy leading her. Another punch, snapping the man's head back and to the side, and the girl was free. Raph spun around to look at her, and her mouth dropped open.

"We gotta quit meeting this way," he told her.

"But if we did, I wouldn't get to see you," she said. She smiled at his shocked expression. "Thank you, again."

Raph blushed and hated it. He took her hand and looked over her head at Mikey. "We need to get outta here yesterday, Mike. Make a way."

"Got it." Mikey turned on his heel and went back to the double doors. He cautiously pushed one open and gestured forward with his left hand. Raph led the girl over to him. He tried not to think about the fact that her hand fit perfectly within his. "All clear," Mikey whispered and darted out and across the floor back to the stacks of crates.

Raph looked back at the girl. "You ready?" he asked.

"You bet," she said. Her husky voice was firm, and his heart felt like it was skipping in response. He nodded and turned to face the open doors. Mikey was waving them forward, and Raph sprinted across the floor, the girl in tow. They made it the crates, and Raph gestured for Mikey to take point. Mikey nodded, checked ahead, and sprinted for the back door. Raph and the girl quickly followed, and once they were outside, they ran across the street and stood in the shadows. The girl pushed her hair back over her shoulders and put her hand out to Raph. "I'm Emma Ford."

Raph took her hand and shook it, pleased by her firm grip. "I'm Raphael. This is Michelangelo," he said, nodding to his youngest brother. Emma smiled at Mikey and shook his hand, as well.

"Thank you for rescuing me." She glanced behind her; Raph could see her pulse fluttering in her throat, and frowned.

"You're safe with us," he told her.

"Oh, I know. I knew I'd be safe with you the second you dropped into the alley this afternoon," she said.

"How did these scum bags get a hold of you, anyway?" Raph asked. He noticed Mikey texting on his T-phone, and knew he had to get Emma to safety so they could continue searching for Leo.

"They jumped me when I was on the way home from work." She sounded angry. "I might've been able to handle a couple of them, but there were five." Shaking her head, she gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry to keep causing you trouble. Really, I lead a pretty boring life. All this kidnapping is new to me."

"It's okay. But we do have some work to do, so is there somewhere we can take you so you'll be safe?" Raph asked. Mikey was concentrating on his phone; Raph didn't know if he was playing some new game, or texting someone again.

"Um, I live a few blocks from here. I'm sure I can make it there on my own," Emma said, but Raph immediately shook his head.

"No. We'll take you. Mikey, come on."

Mikey looked up at him, and Raph wanted to swear when he saw the fear in his little brother's eyes. "We gotta hurry, bro. Donnie and April need us."

"Okay." Raph reached for Emma's hand, well-aware that she was perfectly capable of walking on her own. But the need to touch her, to make sure she was safe, overrode everything else. They started moving down the sidewalk, keeping in the shadows. Behind them, the back door of the old warehouse banged open, and they heard shouting. "Aw, crap." Raph glanced upward. "Mikey, the roof. Go!"

"Gone," Mikey said. He ran ahead a couple of feet, sprang into the air, and grabbed the lowest rung of the fire escape hanging over the alley. Raph maneuvered Emma so she was beneath the fire escape. Mikey reached a hand down. "Come on, Emma. I'll pull ya up," he encouraged.

"You trust us?" Raph asked her, and when she gave a vehement nod, he lifted her up so she could grab hold of Mikey. He pulled her up so she could start climbing, and climbed after her. Raph took one last glance down the alley, jumped, and went up after them.

It was cold on the roof, and snowing. Emma was shivering, and Raph wished he had something to give her to keep her warm. But getting her home was going to be the best he could do. They ran to the edge of the roof; Mikey sailed over the gap, and Emma looked with wide eyes at Raph. "Wow. Um, I can't do that," she said.

"No problem." Raph picked her up, made sure she was hanging on, and jumped. He decided upon landing to just run with her in his arms, and followed Mikey quickly across the roofs until they reached the building across from Emma's apartment complex. They went down the fire escape and across the street to the door.

Emma put her hand out to Mikey. "Thank you, Michelangelo, for helping save me."

Mikey shook her hand. "You're welcome," he said. Raph could tell his brother's thoughts weren't on her, though - he was worried about Donnie and April.

"Thank you, Raphael. I'll try to keep out of trouble," she said.

He shook her hand. "You better call the police about this," he said. "They need to know what's going on."

"I will. I have a cousin who's a cop. I'll get in touch with him," she said. She seemed to falter for a second, then put one hand lightly on his forearm and kissed his cheek. "Again, thank you." She turned away and went inside the building. Raph stared after her for a few seconds before remembering what they were supposed to be doing.

"Where are April and Donnie at?" he asked.

"About five blocks up from us," Mikey said, showing Raph the signal he was tracking from Donnie's phone. "April said they ran into trouble, but that's all she said."

"Let's go." They got back to the roofs, and ran hard. Snow swirled around them as the wind picked up, but they ignored it. Raph tried not to think about his younger brother and sister being in danger. It was bad enough that Leo was gone. They couldn't let Donnie and April disappear, too. Three minutes later they arrived at an old building that had once been a department store, and jumped down into the street.

"They're inside," Mikey whispered.

Raph nodded and led the way to the back doors. They were chained shut, but the chain was rusty, and when he kicked them, it broke under the force and they slipped inside. It was quiet, almost eerily so, and Raph crept forward on silent feet. He paused and checked Donnie's signal again; it showed that he was very close, but Raph was beginning to wonder about that. Had they been tricked? He was about to turn and signal Mikey to retreat, but a small sniffle caught his attention, and he went forward and peeked around the corner.

"April?" Raph swallowed hard and quietly approached the figure curled up in the corner. She lifted her head, and he saw the tears streaming from her blue eyes. "April!" He immediately dropped to his knees beside her and reached around her. "What happened? Where's Donnie?" he asked. Mikey crouched down next to them, his eyes riveted on their sister.

She sniffled again, and looked down at the floor. "We got jumped," she whispered. "We heard these guys talking about some girls, and moved in closer." She shuddered, and Raph tightened his hold on her shoulders. "They moved so fast, we never had a chance." Lifting her head, she met Raph's gaze. "They took him. I-I couldn't do anything."

Raph growled under his breath. "Did they hurt you?" he asked.

She nodded, and touched the back of her head. "One of them hit me with something super hard, and I think maybe my ankle is twisted," she whispered. She reached out and took Mikey's hand, and added, "I'm so sorry."

Mikey's blue eyes widened. "It's not your fault, April," he said, squeezing her hand. He looked at Raph. "We need to go home, bro, and check her over."

"Yeah." Raph got to his feet, easing April up with him. She was shivering badly, and he picked her up, cradling her as close to his plastron as he could. Her sniffles were quieting, but she was hurting, and he could hardly see straight for all the fury coursing through him. He nodded at Mikey. "Take point."

"Gotcha." Mikey led them out of the building, and once they got to the rooftops, they flew. Raph only wanted to get April back to the lair, back to safety. And he wanted to find out who had his younger brother.

_Some night this has been. Didn't find Leo, lost Donnie, April got hurt..._Anger boiled up through Raph's system, and he forced himself to remain calm. This wasn't the time to lose his temper. Later, when it was just him and the bag, he could let it out. April was still shivering, and he hoped they'd be able to take care of her once they got back to the lair. _And Meli. She's going to be upset we didn't find Leo. _She wouldn't blame them, of course, because she understood it might take them awhile to track Saito down. But he knew she was still going to be upset, and disappointed, and he hated, absolutely _hated_ that she had to go through that.

They reached the manhole to take them back to the lair and dropped down into the darkness and relative safety of the tunnels. Mikey flicked on his flashlight and looked at Raph. "Um, bro, do you know remember which tunnel to take back?"

Raph's eyes narrowed in concentration. Without Donnie and his amazing maps he'd made, they had to rely solely on their memories. "Yeah, keep going straight down this one. I think it's the first one to the right that we take next," he said, struggling to remember.

"I think so, too," April whispered against his chest. Her voice was dark with pain.

He looked down at her, at the precious girl he held so carefully, and determination to keep her safe, to get her help, surged over him. Tightening his grip on her, he nodded to Mikey. "Let's go home."


	7. Plan

I do not own TMNT or any of the characters associated with it. Meli Tompkins and Emma Ford are my characters, though.

So...I really appreciate all of you still reading _Confidence_. I trust you're enjoying it. And to Emeraldgal, keller75863548274483, Taiski, allen niichan, BubblyShell22, Dondena, Scarecrowlovinggirl198, NewFaeTales, Pinkdesi101, 1234BlueLagoon, DJfire, sailorsakura89, turtleformer6, HotNunchukFury, Nuntio, TimidBookworm, LunarWhispers, Lithim Nichole Albrecht and Tmnt5everr: thank you so much for reading, reviewing, favoriting and following. It means the world to me! To anyone else who is reading _Confidence_ and enjoying it, too, thank you. It's fun sharing my version of the turtles' world with you.

And, not to beg or anything...but if you DID have a second or two to review, to just let me know if you're enjoying the story, I would LOVE it. Really. Thanks in advance!

CONFIDENCE

CHAPTER SEVEN: PLAN

Meli watched as much TV as she could stand. Splinter kept her company through two prime-time sitcoms, and then retreated to the dojo, leaving her alone with only her thoughts for companionship. She played a round or two of HALO, but couldn't concentrate on the missions, and ended up getting the Chief blown up more often than not. She got off the couch and paced. Around and around the lair she went, trying not to think too much about what her brothers and sister were doing out on the rooftops.

_I hope they find Leo. They have to._ A part of her ached, a part of her that wouldn't be consoled until she saw the turtle in blue again. She blinked back sudden tears as she thought of their last kiss before he'd shoved her through the hole in the rubble, and a chill stole over her. _If only he'd let me stay with him. Saito's really after me. He might not have taken Leo then._ But her boyfriend would never have stood for that. His desire to protect her, to keep her safe and happy at any cost, had driven his need to give himself over to their enemy. _And now he's missing...maybe he's hurt. Maybe Saito is torturing him right now. _A small sad cry escaped her, and she bit down hard on her bottom lip.

Deciding she needed to do something more physical than pacing, she headed for the dojo, stopping just shy of the door. Splinter was still inside, meditating, probably, and she wasn't about to disturb him. If that was how he achieved some sense of peace while his family was out fighting crime and looking for Leo, who was she to interrupt? _I can't stay here, though. This is killing me._ She ran into Leo's room and grabbed her fleece jacket. Shrugging into it, she ran for the turnstiles and jumped them without slowing down. _I know what I promised to Raph, but it's not like I'm leaving the tunnels. I'm just going to run for awhile._ She took off in the opposite direction that they normally took, and ran. Hard. She ran until she was gasping, her lungs spasming in her chest. Sweat ran down her face, and she took the jacket off and tied it around her waist. She had no idea how far she'd run, so she turned around and headed back toward the lair.

_I wonder if they found Leo yet. Where would Saito take him? How did Saito get that machine into the tunnels? _Snorting with derisive disgust, she sighed. She hadn't managed to escape her thoughts, after all. As she drew nearer to the lair, she could make out other voices, and broke into a jog. Rounding a turn, she saw Mikey headed the other way, and called out to him. He spun around, and raced toward her.

"Meli!" He slammed into her, and she wavered under the bear hug. Mikey immediately let go and stepped back, wagging a massive finger at her. "Where were you? We thought somebody kidnapped you!" His voice rose in anger, and ice slid through her veins. Mikey _never_ yelled like that.

"I was worried about you guys, and Leo, and went for a run," she said. "Is everything okay? Where's everyone else? Did you find Leo?" She couldn't help the rise of panic in her voice, and Mikey's eyes swelled with something suspiciously close to sympathy.

"We didn't find him, Mel," he said. He reached out for her hand, squeezing it. "And worse, Donnie got kidnapped and the guys that took him hurt April. Raph and Splinter are with her right now." He tugged on her hand, and drew her close to his plastron. "I'm sorry I yelled. I'm just really, you know..." he waved his free hand around, and she nodded against him.

"I know," she whispered. _Leo. Still missing, and now Donnie? Why? What is happening to us? _She couldn't comprehend why someone would take the mild-mannered middle brother. Saito already had Leo.

"Come on." Mikey walked her to the turnstiles, picked her up and set her on the other side, vaulted over, and took her hand to lead her toward Donnie's lab. She could hear Splinter and Raph's hushed voices, and shivered. If Raph was being this quiet, it must be bad.

Raph turned when they came in, and Meli was instantly ashamed of herself for leaving the lair. The worry and desperation in his emerald eyes told her everything she needed to know. She ran to him and threw her arms tightly around him. "I'm sorry," she said. There wasn't anything else she could say.

He nodded and turned her so she could see the bed where April was stretched out. "They got jumped," he said. His voice was dark with anger. "Bad guys took Donnie and hurt her."

Meli moved to April's side and reached to tuck a tendril of red hair behind her older sister's ear. April opened her eyes and tried to smile, but failed. Tears crowded her blue eyes, and Meli's heart swelled with sympathy. "I couldn't do anything," April whispered. "They moved too fast, and by the time I came around, they were gone. _He's_ gone." The tears fled down her cheeks, and Meli leaned down to put her arms gently around her sister's shoulders to hug her close. April's body shook with her tears, and Meli swallowed back her own. This wasn't about her right now. This was about her sister losing the most important person in her life.

"We'll get him back." Raph came to April's other side. "We'll get _both_ of them back. I promise." His voice was hard as rock, and Meli nodded her head against April's. She believed him. April did, too. April managed to get herself under control and sat back, and Meli tried to smile. It failed.

"It is time for rest," Splinter said, and put his paws on Meli's shoulder, giving them a gentle squeeze. "Sleep will help her the most." He looked across at Raph, who nodded, taking the cue to get lost.

"We'll be back later to check on ya," Raph said. He bent and brushed his mouth across April's forehead. She gave him a small nod. "Come on," he said, looking at Meli. She nodded and followed him and Mikey out of the lab, closing the door behind her. Raph gave Mikey a small shove toward the kitchen. "Why don't you find us something to eat, Mike. I want to talk to Meli a minute."

"Okay." Mikey cast a dubious glance at Meli. "Be nice, Raphael," he said. His tone was cool, and he gave Meli a quick hug before doing as his older brother asked. Raph took Meli's hand and led her into the pit, and settled her on the couch.

"I told you to stay here," he said. His voice was even, but she wasn't fooled. He was mad.

"I know. And I did - technically. I didn't leave the tunnels," she told him.

Raph's eyes thinned to slits. "That's not what I meant, and you know it." He huffed out an exasperated breath and rubbed his big hands over his face. "Gees, Meli. I already lost Leo and Donnie. I got back here and Splinter had no idea where you were." He dropped his hands and stared her down. "_No idea_. You know how I felt? Do you?"

She couldn't bring herself to speak in the face of his fury, so she shook her head.

He leaned down so he was an inch from her face. "Terrified."

Her breath caught in her throat, and tears gathered in her eyes. Knowing he was looking for something, some sort of verbal response, she whispered, "I'm so sorry. I just...I couldn't take it any longer. I kept thinking about how bad Saito could hurt him. I even thought about," she swallowed the sob in her throat, "Saito torturing him to get information about me." She raised her hands up to hide her face, but Raph took them in one of his massive hands and with the other, wiped her tears away. "I'm sorry," she repeated, not knowing what else she could say.

"I know," he said, his voice gentle. "And I didn't mean to make you cry. But I was already worked up, furious, and then we get home and you're missing. It was too much," he said. "I shouldn't have come on so strong, though. I know you're worried about Leo. And we'll find him. I promise. I'll tear this city apart if I have to." The resolve in his voice nearly broke her again, but she kept her tears in check.

"I know." She squared her shoulders. "I want to help. You need me, Raph. April won't be able to help now."

He wanted to say no. She could see it in his eyes. But he finally nodded. "We need a plan. A good one."

"Hey, you guys coming?" Mikey called. They looked at each other, both noting the underlying panic in his voice.

"Come on." Raph helped her up and together they walked into the kitchen. Mikey had set out a bowl of ramen and had three Cokes on the table. He held out a chair for Meli.

"Thanks, Mikey," she said, squeezing his forearm as she sat. He sat next to her, and handed her a bowl of noodles. "Thank you for cooking," she added.

"It's okay." He handed Raph a bowl too, and proceeded to get himself some. They were quiet for a few minutes, each trying to convince himself or herself to eat. Raph was the first to push his bowl away.

"We need to find them, and soon," he said.

"I still think Saito would come after me if I went out on the streets," Meli said. She took a long swallow of Coke.

Mikey stared at her. "Are you crazy?"

"Maybe." She smiled at him, but it was forced. "We have to do something, Mikey. We can't wait much longer. I don't want Saito to hurt Leo."

"Yeah, but giving yourself up? Leo wouldn't want you to do that," Mikey protested.

"She wouldn't be alone. We'd be watchin' her from the roofs, and follow her to wherever they take her. Hopefully to Leo," Raph said. He met Meli's gaze. "I think that's really our only option now, much as I hate it."

She nodded. "I do, too." Fear fluttered through her stomach, but she couldn't give in to it. Leo meant so much to her, more than anything, or anyone, and she had to do whatever she could to get him back. "Tonight?"

Raph looked her over, his eyes narrowed in concentration. "You feel up to it?"

"Yes." If they did it now, and she didn't have time to dwell on what she was about to do, it would be easier. "But are you two tired?"

"No." Raph's answer was immediate.

"No," Mikey echoed. He thumped his fists on the table. "But do you really think it will work? I mean, how will Saito know you're out walking around?" he asked, looking at Meli. "And what happens if we lose sight of her?" he added, throwing a look at Raph.

"We won't." Raph crossed his arms over his plastron. "It has to work."

"Let's go," Meli said. She got up and put her jacket back on. Raph nodded and got to his feet.

"I'll let Splinter know what we're doing," he said and left the kitchen. Mikey got up and started putting away the left-over food. Meli helped him, but stayed quiet. She sensed that the youngest turtle needed some time to think everything through. It _was_ a scary plan, but they hadn't been left with many choices. With Donnie missing too they were at a very distinct disadvantage.

"Promise me you'll be careful." Mikey's soft but determined voice broke into her thoughts, and she paused to nod at him.

"I promise."

"We won't let anything hurt you," he said and hugged her. Meli relaxed into his hold, glad to lean on someone else's strength for a few moments. Mikey kissed the top of her head and eased her out of his arms. This side of him wasn't new to her; she'd witnessed how caring, how determined he could be when he or someone he cared about was threatened. Yet his solemness scared her a little. That part of Mikey she wasn't used to, nor did she want to get used to it. It didn't fit him.

"I know you won't," she said. "And I'll be very careful. I know this plan isn't the safest, but we have to find Leo and Donnie. We just have to."

Raph walked back in, and from the glint of temper in his eyes, she knew their plan hadn't won any favor from Splinter or April. Still, it was what they had. "Let's go," he barked, and she and Mikey hurried out of the kitchen. They went back the way Raph, Mikey and April had come home, and Meli tried to control the fear that kept trying to crawl up and down her spine. She could do this. She _would_ do this, for Leo. After all, he'd given himself to the enemy to keep her safe. Now it was up to her to return the favor.

"You've got the new panic button and T-phone Donnie gave you, right?" Raph asked, glancing at her. Tension rolled off him in thick waves.

Meli nodded. "I have both." She didn't want to think about what could happen if she were to lose them. The boys would have no way to trace her. The air in the tunnels seemed oppressive, heavy, and she suppressed a shudder. _Stay calm. You can do this. You have to. _"Do you think Saito took Donnie, too?"

"I don't know. April didn't get a good look at the guys. It doesn't really make sense for him to take Don," Raph said, sighing. "But maybe. If he did, hopefully Donnie's with Leo."

"I still don't like this," Mikey said. He was trudging along beside Meli, and she reached out to take his hand.

"I know, but this is the only way I can think of to find them," she said.

He stayed quiet, and they were all silent as they climbed the ladder leading up to the street. Raph helped Meli out and they sprinted off into the shadows. Raph glanced around before turning to her. "Okay. This is close to the pool hall where we got information about Saito. Why don't you hang out on the sidewalk for a little while, see if you pick up any interest. If not, we'll try it somewhere else," he told her.

"Okay." Meli rubbed her hands together. She could do this. The boys would have her back, and at least the streetlamps here were still working. Well, some of them, anyway. The ones that hadn't been shot out yet.

Raph squeezed her upper arms. "Be tough," he told her. "We'll have your back." He nodded at Mikey, and the two turtles melted away into the darker shadows. Meli squared her shoulders and strode out onto the sidewalk. The pool hall was just down the street; she could hear loud rock music coming from it, and headed in that direction. Three old cars sat in the street, none of them looking like they'd run in awhile. She passed them by, keeping her head up. She didn't want to look like a victim.

"Hey." The voice startled her, and she jumped, spinning around to face the dark mouth of an alley. Two men stepped out into the meager light, and she frowned. "You're cute. Wanna go to a party with us?"

"No, not really," she said.

"Wasn't really a question." The smaller of the two men suddenly lunged at her and grabbed her by the arm. Meli's first instinct was to fight, and she punched him without thinking. He reared back, his hand over his face, and before she could react, the second guy grabbed her.

"Settle down, sweetness. We don't want no trouble," he whispered in her ear. Meli forced herself to remain calm. Raph and Mikey were somewhere above her, watching. She was safe as long as they were near.

"Who's throwing the party?" she asked. "Saito?"

The man's grip tightened on her upper arm. "Don't know him, babe."

"Then how'd you know it was a 'him?'" she asked.

"Didn't. I guessed." The man's breath was hot and dirty in her face, and she grimaced. "C'mon. We ain't got all night." He started dragging her down the sidewalk, away from the pool hall. Meli cast a quick glance up and caught sight of Raph.

"So, um, where's the party?" she asked. She needed more information to go on. It was one thing if they were taking her to Saito, who had Leo, but she didn't want to end up somewhere else.

"Need to know basis. We know, and you don't." The man's voice was cold, and goose bumps raced up and down Meli's arms. She was sure the boys were following her, but it was hard to push back the fear that threatened to crawl into her heart and take it captive. A car pulled around the corner of the street, and the man suddenly picked her up and ran toward it. Meli twisted in his arms, desperate to break free. She did _not_ want to be put into that vehicle.

"Knock it off!" the man carrying her said. The car lurched to a stop next to the curb, and the door swung open. Meli kicked out as hard as she could while raking her nails down the man's face. He howled and dropped her. The second man reached down to grab her, but never got the chance.

Raph grabbed him around the neck and jerked backward, toppling to guy over. Mikey dropped the guy who'd been carrying Meli, and reached down to take her arm gently and help her up. He moved so she was behind him. The car took off, but the boys kept their attention on the two men they'd caught. Raph leaned down and grabbed his guy under the chin. "Who you workin' for?"

The man spit at him. "Ain't tellin' you nothing."

Meli poked her head out from behind Mikey. "I'd tell him what you know," she advised. Raph grinned.

"Do as the lady says," he said. "You workin' for Saito?"

The other man groaned and rubbed at his head. "Yeah. What's it to ya, anyway?"

Mikey poked the guy's shoulder with his toe. "That's for us to know, dude." He looked at Raph. "What now?"

Raph smiled. It lacked any warmth. "Now they tell us where we can find him." He tightened his hold on the man's chin. "Right?"

"He don't want to see you. He only wants to see her." The man pointed at Meli. "He's got big plans for her."

Meli stepped from behind Mikey and walked over to Raph. She felt his eyes on her, and Mikey's as well. She bent down and looked the man in the eyes. "_Where is he?"_ she asked. Her voice was sharp and tense, and she almost hoped he wouldn't tell her so she could hit him or something.

The man sighed. "If you knew what was good for ya, girl, you'd run." He chanced a look up at Raph, who stood at Meli's shoulder. "Three blocks from here, north. Tan building with graffiti all over. Four stories. Can't miss it."

"Let's go." Raph tugged on Meli's hand and she backed away from the man, letting Raph lead her. Mikey fell in beside her, and she was filled with gratitude to both of them. Even though getting caught and taken to Saito had been the plan, if the men had taken her somewhere else, or hadn't even been working for him, it could've been a disaster. She shivered, and Raph squeezed her hand. "You did good back there," he told her.

"Thanks. I have a great trainer," she said.

"Did you hurt your hand?" Mikey asked. He glanced at her with concern brightening his eyes.

"No, I'm okay." She took a deep breath. "So what next? Do we try to break in?"

"We don't try. We _do_," Raph told her. He glanced back, and she saw the determination firing in his eyes. "We find Leo and get him out."

"Okay." It sounded good to her; she couldn't wait to see Leo, to make sure he was all right. A few snowflakes drifted down past her face, and she thought it odd for something so beautiful, so pure, to be mingling with a place that was so very dirty. They stayed in the shadows as they made their way north, and her heart pounded harder with each block they gained. Soon, they would find Leo. She bit her lip as she thought about hugging him, holding him close to her.

"Stop." Raph halted, and pointed. "There we go." Meli peeked out around him, and saw a tan building, long ago abandoned and disfigured with dozens of graffiti markings. "I'm takin' point. Meli, you follow me. Mike, you cover our rear."

"Got it." Mikey patted his nunchuks. "Piece of cake."

Raph glared at him. "Don't say stuff like that. You'll jinx us."

Mikey frowned at him. "No, I won't. Besides, how do you know I wasn't actually thinking of a piece of cake?"

Meli stepped in between the two brothers. "Come on. Let's go save Leo," she said. Her voice was low, but commanding enough that both turtles nodded and focused on the task at hand. Raph turned down the alley next to the building and felt along the wall. It was quiet and dark. Pausing, he turned to the other two.

"Door." He settled a hand on Meli's shoulder. "You're up for this?"

"Yes." She gave an emphatic nod.

"Mike?"

"Duh." Mikey flashed a big grin at his older brother. Raph sighed.

"Stay behind me and stay quiet." Raph turned the handle and put his shoulder into the door. It eased open, and he ducked inside.

Meli took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She wasn't sure what they would find inside, if they would even find Leo. She prayed that the two thugs had been telling the truth, that this was Saito's place. It _needed_ to be his place, because she needed Leo. As much as she adored her brothers, there was a hole deep within her that only Leonardo could fill. Glancing back at Mikey for a quick dose of courage, she followed Raph inside.


	8. Temper

I do not own TMNT or its associated characters. Meli Tomkins, Saito, and Emma Ford are my creations.

Thank you for all the new reviews. Thanks go to those who have favorited the story, or who are now following it. I greatly appreciate it!

**CONFIDENCE**

CHAPTER EIGHT: TEMPER

Raph moved with caution through the hallway leading from the back door. He paused every few steps to listen, but heard nothing. _Those two crooks better have been tellin' me the truth._ He wanted to find Leo and Donnie and get everyone back to the safety of the lair. Leading the team, what was left of it, wasn't really his idea of a good time. He couldn't hear either Meli or Mikey behind him, which was good. They needed to catch the scumbags who'd taken their brothers off-guard.

The quietest whisper of a voice reached him, and he immediately stopped and flattened himself against the wall. _Now we're talkin'._ He glanced back at the other two and made a signal. Mikey quickly nodded and touched Meli's shoulder. Though she wouldn't have known what the signal meant, she too nodded, trusting Mikey. Raph crept forward by himself, straining to catch more of the conversation. The hallway opened up into a large work room, and he poked his head inside for a moment. Nothing. Reaching back, he beckoned the other two forward. _Well, this is disappointing. I coulda sworn I heard voices down here._ He felt a tap on his shoulder, and looked back at Mikey. His youngest brother pointed down, and Raph realized the voices he'd heard were coming from beneath them. He jerked his head in response, and they cleared the room, heading out into another hallway.

A staircase headed downward at the end of it, and Raph gave Mikey the signal to hold again. He didn't need Meli coming down right behind him, just in case Leo was there, and hurt. Descending the staircase with light footsteps borne of years of training, Raph heard more voices, louder this time, and slightly irritated. He reached the bottom and headed for the noise. It was coming from a room at the far end of the hall, and as he drew closer, his blood starting icing. _I can't be hearin' this right. No way._ But once he stopped outside the door, he knew it was real. It was _her_ voice. _So is she the one who kidnapped Leo, then? Not Saito? _Raph gritted his teeth. He had broke in with only the intention of finding his two missing brothers, but the sound of the woman's voice grated on every single nerve in his body. _Keep it under control. You can't get into a fight with her, not with Meli up there. _Meli was in no way ready to take on a fight with a trained kunoichi.

Focusing on keeping his temper in check, Raph moved past the door and toward the next one. It was unlocked, and he slipped inside, his sai drawn. Letting his vision adjust to the darkness, he suppressed a cry of joy at seeing both brothers. They were bound by their ankles and wrists, and looked a little rough, but they were alive. He made his way over to them and touched their arms, waking them. Leo's eyes lit up, and Donnie grinned. Raph used his sais to slit the ropes they'd been tied with, and motioned for them to follow him out. They crept past the other room, and Raph could feel the fury emanating from Leo. _Just keep it together. We need to get out of here, bro._ Getting into a fight down here wouldn't be good.

Mikey and Meli were waiting at the top of the stairs, and she threw herself into Leo's waiting arms. He kissed her cheek and then propelled her forward, keeping her between himself and Raph. Mikey and Donnie fell in behind them, and they got out of the building as fast as they could. Once they'd climbed to the roof of the building across the street and ran down a few blocks toward home, they finally stopped.

"Man, are we glad to see you guys," Leo said. He had his arms wrapped around Meli, who looked like she wasn't ever going to leave them.

"Is April okay?" Donnie's voice held extreme concern.

"She's roughed up some, but she's okay," Raph assured him. "She'll be glad to see you."

Donnie muttered something beneath his breath. "I can't believe we got jumped. They were just so fast. I tried to keep April out of the way, but one of them got me over the head," he said. "Are you sure she's okay?"

"She's bruised up, and has a twisted ankle, but yeah, she's gonna to be fine," Raph said. He wanted to talk about the woman back in the building, but knew reassuring Donnie was important. "So? You guys get jumped by Saito, or _Karai_?" Her name was like venom dripping off his tongue.

Leo's face instantly hardened. "She was the one behind the two attacks. I couldn't believe it when I saw her. She should've stayed in Japan." His tone was cold and hard.

"Who's Karai?" Meli asked.

"Kunoichi. A really nasty one," Mikey said. "Leo used to have a huge crush on her." Leo shot a glare at him, while Donnie cuffed him across the back of the head. "Ow! I'm just tellin' the truth!" Mikey said, rubbing his head and glaring back at Leo.

"A crush? On an evil ninja girl?" Meli's voice was a little uncertain. Leo immediately kissed her forehead.

"Yes, but that was a long time ago, before I realized how truly evil she was." He looked at Raph. "She's working with Saito. They're the ones behind the attacks on the girls."

"Figures." Raph's temper simmered. "Why did she take you two, though?"

"Isn't it obvious? I wanted to say hello."

The cold female voice behind him made Raph's skin prickle with tension, and he spun around. Karai stood by herself, her katanas strapped across her back. A sick smile twisted her mouth, and she laughed. "What, no hello for me, Raphael? You either, Michelangelo? I missed you both so much."

"You gotta lot of nerve showin' up here," Raph said. His voice was hot. "Workin' with Saito? What, you couldn't handle runnin' the Foot by yourself? Need a man to do it for ya?" He grinned as he saw her mouth tighten in anger. "Aw, did I hurt your feelings?"

Karai ignored him and walked closer to Leo. Raph turned, keeping his eyes on her. He glanced at his older brother and saw that Leo had moved Meli behind him, and drawn both katana. Mikey and Donnie had also drawn their weapons. "So this is the pathetic little girl that Saito is so desperate to have, hmm?" Karai tapped a long black fingernail against her bottom lip. "You should just hand her over, Leonardo. You know in the end I'll have her."

"Not a chance in hell," Leo fired back. His eyes were blue slits in his mask, and every muscle in his body rippled with taut anger. "I won't let you have her."

"We won't, either." Donnie moved to stand at his oldest brother's right side, while Mikey flanked Leo on the left. Raph smiled to himself. Karai would have to be crazy to think she could take them all on.

"Please. The four of you wouldn't stand a chance against me, and you know it." Karai tilted her head to the side. "I must admit, I'm a bit intrigued as to why Saito thinks she's so valuable. Rumor has it she can't bring about the destruction of the world he was seeking."

"Yeah, well rumor also has it he's insane. And so are you, for workin' with him," Raph said. He stood to Donnie's left, his sai resting comfortably in his hands. "We aren't gonna let you hurt Meli, and we're not gonna let you hurt any other women, either."

Karai smiled, and just for a second, for the briefest flash of a second, he was struck by how beautiful she was. Dangerous, deadly...and gorgeous. No wonder Leo had fallen so hard, so fast, for her. Luckily, her true nature had made itself known, and he'd been able to break the spell she seemed to have over him. "Why are you all so attached to her? She seems quite ordinary to me." And just like that, any illusion of beauty was shattered by her insidious heart and icy voice.

"She's amazing," Leo said. His voice was flat. "That's all you need to know." He pointed toward the street below the roof. "Leave."

"Leave?" Raph turned incredulous eyes on his brother. "Are you nuts? We need to take her down! Turn her over to the police!"

"As if you could do that." Karai laughed. "Leonardo may tell you he's over me, but he and I know the truth. He's not about to turn me in." She turned on her heel, then added over her shoulder, her eyes seeking and locking on Leo's, "I'll be seeing you soon, handsome." There was a brief flash of fire, and she was gone.

"What was that?" Raph didn't bother to keep his voice down. His temper was breaking through its restraints, and he thrust his face into Leo's. "You just let her leave?"

Leo sheathed his katana and pushed him back. "Yes, I let her leave. Donnie and I are in no condition to fight. And starting one right now would've put Meli in danger. I wasn't doing that." He reached back for Meli's hand and brought her around to the front of him, where he held her close to his plastron. "We know Karai and Saito are the ones behind the attacks, and Donnie and I got some good intel about what they're doing with them, and where they're doing it. This wasn't the place to duke it out, Raph. We'll get that chance soon enough." His tone indicated that the subject was closed, but Raph wasn't done just yet.

"Tell me you don't still have a thing for her," he demanded. When Leo's eyes widened and then slitted in anger, he added, "Well? Was she tellin' the truth? You still hot for her? Plannin' to leave Meli for her?"

Meli let out a choked gasp, and Raph knew he'd crossed a line that he never should've approached. She buried her face in Leo's chest, and he reached out, lightning fast, and slugged Raph in the face. Donnie and Mikey instantly reacted, getting in between the two oldest brothers, Mikey pushing Leo backward, and Donnie taking hold of Raph's arm and moving him away. When Raph tried to break away, Donnie flipped him, and he landed hard on his shell. Donnie leaned down over him.

"Stay down," he growled. Raph tried once to get up, but Donnie planted a foot in his chest that suggested he wasn't going anywhere, and he gave up, and lay still.

"Meli." Leo tipped her chin up so he could see her face. "I love you. No matter what lies Karai says, that's all they are. Lies. I did have a crush on her, a long time ago. Back before I realized how bad she was. The day she left for Japan, to pursue helping her father run the Foot clan, I cleansed my heart of her. _You_ are the one for me. The only one." His tone was emphatic, firm.

"I love you, too," she said. "Is she really that dangerous?" A tremble ran through her voice.

"Very. But don't worry. She's not getting her hands on you. Neither is Saito." Leo looked at his three brothers. "We need to get home, get some rest, regroup. Let's go." He scooped Meli into his arms and ran for the far side of the building, where he vaulted with ease onto the next one. Mikey followed them closely.

Donnie looked Raph in the eyes. "If I was you, I'd steer clear of Leo for awhile when we get back. That was probably the meanest thing you've ever said to him, and in front of Meli. You hurt her, too." His eyes were hard and stormy. "Get up. Let's go."

Raph got to his feet slowly, and followed the others at a distance. His rage had subsided, leaving a bitter bite in his soul. He knew how Leo felt about Meli - he wanted to marry her someday. Whatever he'd felt for Karai when they were teenagers paled horribly in comparison. _I'm so stupid. I know better than to shoot my mouth off when I'm mad. Donnie's right - not only did I hurt Leo, but I hurt Meli, too. That's even worse. _Leo would eventually forgive him, but would Meli? He'd hurt her twice now, in the same day. A very long day, but nonetheless. All he wanted to do was help protect her, but it seemed all he was managing to do was wound her. Having fallen back quite aways, he pushed himself faster.

Once they reached the tunnels, he hung back, not wanting to get within range of Leo's fists or katana. Donnie and Mikey stayed next to Leo, with Meli walking in front of them. Halfway home, though, Donnie fell back beside him, and he groaned inwardly. "What?" he asked, his voice harsher than he'd anticipated.

"You know, you might want an ally when we get back," Donnie informed him. "Leo's not going to forgive you for this right away."

"I know." Raph sighed. "It was a stupid thing to say, all right? I was mad. I wanted to do something."

Donnie was quiet for a few moments. "Leo's right, though. He and I got banged up pretty good. If we'd started something, Meli might've gotten hurt. You know Karai would've gone after her."

"Yeah, I know." And he did, too. They'd fought Karai often enough back in the day to know she didn't back down when she wanted something. And if she'd gotten a hold of Meli...game over. Saito would do horrible things to her if he got his claws on her again.

"I know it's not easy backing down," Donnie said. His voice was quiet, thoughtful. "But sometimes we have to. You know it must've been hard for Leo to let her go tonight. Especially knowing she wants to bring Meli to Saito." He looked down at the tunnel floor. "Trust me, it wasn't easy to watch her disappear, knowing she's probably the one who hurt April. But we'll take her out when the time is right."

Raph could only nod, unable to speak. Donnie very rarely offered any sort of counsel to him, as he usually rebuffed his younger brother's words of wisdom. In fact, he couldn't even remember the last time Donnie had tried to talk like this with him. "We'll make her pay for what she's done," he finally said, knowing how cliché it sounded, and yet how very much like him.

Donnie glanced at him. "Yes, we will."

They were silent the rest of the way back. Once they reached the lair, Donnie ran for the lab, where Splinter had emerged from, eager to see if his lost sons had been found. Mikey headed for the kitchen, while Leo spoke a little to Splinter and then led Meli to their room. It had ceased being simply Leo's room a long time ago. Raph wanted nothing more than a hot shower and bed, but Splinter waved him over, and he grudgingly obliged.

"Yes, Sensei?" His voice was hard, unyielding. He was tired.

Splinter regarded him quietly for several long moments. "What happened, Raphael?"

"We rescued Donnie and Leo, and had a run-in with Karai. Leo let her go." Anger threatened to boil up again, and he fought to keep it down. It wouldn't do any good here.

"I see." Splinter put a paw on his shoulder. "You would do well to control your temper, my son. I know that letting an enemy go is not easy, but sometimes, it is for the best. You will have another chance to battle her."

"I know, Sensei." Raph held back the yawn that tickled the back of his throat. He wasn't even sure he wanted the shower now - he was just so damned tired. Splinter seemed to sense he wouldn't get anything else from his second oldest son, and waved him away. Raph managed to stay awake through a two minute shower, and fell into his bed, his whole body aching. Closing his eyes, he waited for sleep to overtake him. Ten minutes later, it still hadn't, and he groaned and flipped over on his shell. _I just wanna sleep. Is that too much to ask? _He wondered if he should go attempt to apologize to Leo and Meli, but had the feeling they wouldn't be too welcoming tonight. _Karai. Why did she have to come back? Why is she helping Saito? _At least they knew now who had been taking girls off the street, and murdering some of them. _I swear, if they get their filthy hands on Emma again, they're going to pay__._ Thoughts of the pretty honey-blonde swam before his eyes, and he sighed. As if he would have any sort of chance with her. Just because he'd rescued her twice didn't mean she owed him anything. They didn't operate that way. He groaned and closed his eyes again, wishing for sleep.

He awoke a few hours later, the remnants of a dream clinging to his mind. Shaking his head, he threw the covers back and got up, stretching. His alarm clock read a quarter past nine, and he smiled. That was the latest he'd been allowed to sleep in the last few months. He headed for the kitchen, and found Meli and Leo sitting at the table, talking in low tones. Deciding to just barge ahead, as was his way, he ignored them and went to the fridge for the milk. He grabbed a bowl and spoon and searched through the cupboards for the corn pops.

"Looking for these?" Leo asked. His voice was calm, level, but when Raph turned and met his eyes, he saw a flash of hot temper cross them.

"Yeah." Raph reached for the box Leo offered him, and found it disturbingly light, and quiet. "You ate them all? This box was full yesterday!"

"You snooze, you lose," Leo told him. He reached across to touch Meli's hand. "Ready, love?"

"Okay," she said. Her voice was whisper-soft, and she didn't bother looking Raph's way. Raph slammed the empty box down on the table.

"Nice. You gonna hold a grudge, Leo? You know I say stupid stuff when I'm mad!" he said.

Leo took a deep breath and braced his hands on the table. "That was beyond what I would call 'stupid stuff,' Raph. You, of anyone, should know there could never be anything between Karai and myself. You know how she treated me." Leo looked at him then, and Raph exhaled quietly at the fierce fury in his brother's blue eyes. "She lied. She was manipulative. She said she loved me." His voice dropped on the last three words, and any festering anger Raph had been harboring fell away, driven to oblivion by the obvious pain Leo still felt over Karai's betrayal.

"Leo." Meli got up and walked around the table, reaching to wrap her arms around his trim waist. "Come on. This is only hurting you." Though she spoke softly, with no malice, her words punched Raph in the gut. He was _hurting_ his older brother. And for what? Why did he keep after him about Karai?

"Look, I'm sorry. I'm sorry about what I said. I didn't mean it." He hoped they could tell how heartfelt those words were, how morose he was for saying what he'd said. Of course Leo wouldn't drop Meli for Karai. It was stupid, idiotic. Meli was everything to Leo. And she meant a great deal to the rest of them, too. Raph's eyes widened a bit as the implications of that hit him. _That _was why he'd gone after Leo. "Look, after what Karai said to you, I got mad. I thought if there was any way you still had feelings for her, you would hurt Meli because of them. And I didn't want that to happen." Meli turned her gaze to him for the first time since he'd walked in, and he saw tears in her eyes. "I know what I said hurt both of you. But you have to believe me – I was only thinking about protecting you, Meli."

Leo snorted quietly. "So you ended up saying something totally out-of-line because you wanted to _protect_ her? That doesn't make sense."

"No, it does." Meli smiled at Raph. "You thought if there was any chance Leo might leave me for Karai, it was better to find out about it now, rather than later. I would still be hurt, but the betrayal would come sooner and not be dragged out." She put her hands on Leo's shoulders and squeezed. He opened his mouth, but she put a finger to it to shush him. "I know you would never leave me for Karai. And Raph knows that, too. But he was mad, and he reacted. You know how protective he is."

Leo glanced at Raph, who was glad to see the fury lessening in his older brother's gaze. "Yes, I know that. I know he's protective. But it was still stupid to bring it up right after we saw her." He turned his eyes fully on Raph then, who winced. "You should know me well enough to know I would never leave Meli like that. _Never._"

"Yeah, I know." Raph couldn't say anything else. What else was there _to_ say? He'd said something stupid in the heat of the moment, and had instantly regretted it.

Leo huffed out an irritated breath and faced Meli. Pulling her into a tight hug, he said softly, "There is no way I could ever leave you. I hope you believe that."

"Of course I do," she said. Her voice was reassuring. "I know how you feel about me, Leo." She hugged him back fiercely.

Raph felt his cheeks burning and looked away, looked anywhere but at the two of them. His stomach growled loudly, and the other two glanced at him. "What, I haven't ate yet," he said, his tone defensive.

Meli grinned and pulled away from Leo. She walked over to a cupboard where Mikey kept all sorts of weird ingredients, and pulled out a full box of corn pops. She handed it to Raph, smiling. "You should know I wouldn't let Leo eat _all_ of your favorite cereal, bro."

"Thanks." Raph set the box on the table and took her right hand, tugging her to him. He studied her for a few seconds, and pulled her against him in a quick, rough hug. "I'm sorry."

"I know you are." Meli regarded him carefully. "I know you're hot-tempered, Raphael, but you need to learn to cool down before reacting."

Right. As if it was ever going to be that easy for him. His temper was part of who he was, and trying to control it usually turned out worse for him then just reacting, because trying to hold it in made it blow up faster. But he also knew he could try harder, too. "I'll try. I know I say stuff off the top of my head. That's what happened last night." And here he was, apologizing to her again. Yesterday it had been for attacking her during training, and now for saying something that had hurt her and Leo.

Mikey ran into the kitchen and took hold of Meli's arm, tugging on it hard. "Come on, Mel. I need you!" he said. His tone was beseeching.

She giggled. "What for?"

He gave her the most hang-dog expression he could. "Donnie and April want to play HALO. I need you!" he urged.

"Okay, then." She let him lead her out, and blew a kiss to Leo before leaving the room. Leo chuckled and turned to face Raph, who had his bowl full of cereal and was chowing down. Leo sat down across from him, his eyes all kinds of serious.

"You _do_ know I wouldn't leave her, right?" he asked.

Raph leaned toward him. "I know that. Can we just forget what I said last night?" He didn't want to beg or plead, but he was sick of the discussion.

Leo regarded him solemnly. "We can. And don't worry – Karai will get what's coming to her. Saito, too. We'll talk later about what Don and I found out. Okay?"

"Okay." Raph nodded and watched his older brother leave. _Gees, am I glad to have that conversation finished. _He supposed if he didn't feel so protective toward Meli, the angry words wouldn't have spewed from his mouth the night before. But he'd been protective since the first time meeting her, and didn't foresee that changing. Leo was happy to have his brothers watching out for her, of course, but didn't tolerate having his actions called into question regarding her, like letting Karai go the night before. _Guess I learned that the hard way. Well, she _is_ his girlfriend. He knows what's best for her._ Raph sighed and finished up his cereal. He pushed the box away, not feeling like he needed a second or third bowl like normal. Getting up to put things away, he heard the tinkling laughter of the girls, accompanied by the much louder guffaws of his three brothers, and a pang went through him. He had never thought that he'd need a girl. And Mikey didn't have one, either, but somehow, he seemed content enough to just have April and Meli. Raph was finding it harder and harder to not think about Emma Ford.

He stood in the doorway of the kitchen and watched his five siblings as they horsed around, and made himself a vow. When they put Saito and Karai out of business for good, and April and Meli were safe, he would let himself entertain thoughts of the honey-blonde with light green eyes. Until then, his family came first.


	9. Shaken

I do not own TMNT. Meli Tomkins and Emma Ford, however, I do.

Thank you for the reviews, favorites, and follows. And to the person(s) who nominated _Stronger_ for an award in the category of "Best OC" at Stealthy Stories, I thank you from the bottom of my fan fiction-writing heart! It is amazing to me that Meli Tomkins has been so well-received by the TMNT fans. So again, thank you. Even if _Stronger_ doesn't win, the fact that it was nominated is still incredible.

CONFIDENCE

CHAPTER NINE: SHAKEN

After playing HALO for two hours, Meli got off the couch and stretched. While the game had been a nice distraction, she hadn't forgotten about the argument between Leo and Raph in the kitchen, or the event that had caused it. _An evil kunoichi. Of course._ She had wondered, in the past two months, if there had ever been any other women the boys, and Leo in particular, had known, outside of April. It wasn't surprising that there was, but she had to admit it wasn't a great feeling knowing that Leo had crushed on Karai, or that she had returned the sentiment. _Even though she left him, I do think she really liked him, at the very least. _How could she not have? Meli glanced to the right at her boyfriend, who was currently wapping Mikey over the head with a pillow. She smiled. Leo was sweet, affectionate, kind, strong, tough, and a gentleman. What girl _wouldn't_ be taken with him? _But she blew it. He's mine now, and she will never get another chance._

"Meli."

She looked over at Raph, who had plunked himself down in the old recliner. "Yeah?"

"You up for training later today?" he asked. His voice was quiet and low, and she wondered if maybe it was because he didn't necessarily want to draw Leo's attention.

"Sure," she said. _More training means being tougher._ If she were to have a run-in with Karai, she wanted to know she was capable of handling herself, especially since Leo had told her how dangerous the Japanese girl was. She felt a hand on her shoulder; Leo stood next to her, but his gaze was pinned on Raph. Though the brothers had made up, she could feel the tension hanging in the air between them.

"We need to talk about what Donnie and I found out," Leo said. His voice was level, but Meli picked up the slight command in it. Judging by Raph's narrowed gaze, he had, too.

"That's fine," he said, adding, "And then Meli can train." His eyes never left Leo's, as if daring his older brother to contradict him. But Leo merely nodded and took Meli's hand, giving it a soft squeeze. He turned to the other three.

"Donnie? You want to start?" he asked.

Donnie and April had been talking softly to each other, and he'd been grinning, but at Leo's question, the grin slid away and his face grew solemn. "We overheard Karai talking to someone else, and she told them that her father is now in the business of slave trading. He finds young women for clients, who pay him a large finder's fee. Some of his clients apparently have the taste for American women, and that's why Karai is here. They're working with Saito, and the Shredder sent her here to oversee this end of the deals."

Meli shuddered and immediately Leo wrapped his arm around her and held her close to his side. "That's terrible," she murmured. "Why would she want to help with that? I mean, she's a woman."

"Yeah, but a nasty one," Mikey said. He was sitting on the couch, his legs drawn up beneath him. "She doesn't care what happens to those poor girls." Sadness ran strong through his voice.

"So where are they keeping the girls after they kidnap them?" April asked. She was snuggled up to Donnie, his arm tucked securely around her.

"I think I know." Raph had sat forward in the chair. "While we were looking for Leo last night, Mikey and I ran across a warehouse where some guys were holding a girl captive. The guy in charge made it sound like they used the place to hold girls until they found someone to take them."

"Did you rescue her?" Meli asked. She leaned against Leo, enjoying the feel of him.

Raph nodded. "Yeah."

"She was nice," Mikey said. "I think she liked Raph," he added, almost as an afterthought. Raph's eyes narrowed and he shot his youngest brother a stern look.

"We should check the warehouse out tonight," Leo said. He said nothing about the girl. "We'll stay together. I don't want one of us disappearing again."

"You know Karai will be out gunning for us," Raph said. "For you, especially." His tone was cool. "We need to put her and Saito out of business."

Leo nodded. "We will, as soon as we find them again. I doubt they'll be anywhere near where you found Donnie and me last night." He rubbed a hand over his face. "Meli, April, you two are staying here until we stop them." He looked at April, who gave a small nod, and then at Meli, who bit her lip. "What?" Leo asked.

"Well, how are you going to find them? I mean, even if Karai is out for you, she's not going to just let you catch her," Meli said. "Wouldn't it be easier if you had some bait?" She spoke calmly, but judging from her boyfriend's immediate scowl, she knew he wasn't buying it.

"Absolutely not," he told her. "No way. You're not going above until we take care of the problem."

"But I was out with Raph and Mikey last night, and I took care of myself," she said. A quick glance at Raph told her she shouldn't have brought that up, as he frowned at her and sat back heavily in the chair. Leo's grip around her tightened and he eyed his brother.

"She took care of herself? What's that supposed to mean, Raphael?" Leo asked. His tone was cold. "Please tell me you two didn't let her fend for herself out there."

"We needed to know where you were," Meli said. She broke away from him and turned so she could face him. "I wasn't in danger. Mikey and Raph were on the roof, watching me. It was fine. I'm fine."

"I wasn't asking you." Leo took a step toward Raph. "Well?"

"Well nothing. She just told you what happened. We let April help us all the time like that," Raph said. He got up and crossed his arms over his chest. "She handled herself, Leo. Even got some punches in."

"_Punches_?" Leo swore under his breath in Japanese. "I leave her in your care, and you take her out on the streets, _knowing_ Saito is looking for her. What's wrong with you?" He spun on his heel and pointed at Mikey. "And you too? You just went along with him?" Anger lashed through his voice, making Mikey squirm on the couch.

"Hey." Meli took hold of his arm, tugging on it so he looked at her. "You knew I was with them. I was there last night."

"I know." Leo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, she saw he wasn't any calmer. "But I didn't know they'd let you go out on the streets _alone_. That's just asking for trouble. Even watching from the rooftops, if someone was serious about hurting you, they might not have been able to get to you in time." Leo shot another disgruntled look at Raph. "Poor judgment, Raph. Very poor."

"Oh really?" Raph took two strides and stood nearly nose-to-nose with him. "You never seem to have a problem putting April in danger when we need intel. What's the difference? Doesn't April's life mean anything to you?" His voice was a growl, and Leo tensed.

"You know damn well it does. She matters to me, just as much as she does to you," Leo snarled. "But Saito's not looking specifically for April. He wants to do terrible things to Meli, Raph. Things that I won't let happen. Ever." He turned away abruptly and walked off a few feet. Everyone else stayed quiet. Meli looked at April; the redhead was staring at the floor, and Meli wondered if she was hurt by what had been said. Donnie had his arms around her, holding her tightly, and he wore a deep scowl.

"Leo, stop. I'm fine. I didn't get hurt last night, because I knew how to defend myself. And Raph and Mikey made sure nothing serious happened. We found out where Saito's hideout was because I helped," Meli said. "You need bait. I know you don't want to admit it, but you do. And it has to be me. I'm the one Saito wants." She knew she was only going to amp up his anger, but it couldn't be helped. Not right then.

His shoulders stiffened, and he shook his head. "No. I'll find a different way. You're staying down here, where it's safe. End of discussion." Leo strode off, toward the dojo, and Meli immediately started after him. She heard Raph call her name, but didn't acknowledge him. She and her boyfriend needed to talk.

Leo had already pulled his katana when she got into the dojo, and was performing a difficult-looking kata. Meli took a deep breath and walked into his space, causing him to swear loudly and throw down the swords in disgust. "Don't ever do that again," he told her, his voice hot. "I could've sliced right through you!"

"Leo, stop it." She squared herself, drawing on inner courage. "I know you're afraid that Saito will get his hands on me, but you need help. He's kidnapping women and selling them into a life of slavery. We have to stop him, no matter what we have to do." She tried to speak firmly, but her voice wavered in the face of his fury. He turned away, muttering below his breath.

"This isn't up for discussion," he finally said, turning to look at her. "I already said no."

"And I'm not l_etting _you say no." She took a step closer to him. "I'm going up there with or without your consent."

His eyes flashed in disbelief. "You don't care what I have to say? Really? I'm trying to _protect_ you!"

She nodded and let her arms fall to her sides. "I know, and I love you for it. I want you to protect me. But right now, busting Saito is more important than my safety. He can't be allowed to sell off any more women into slavery. We can't let Karai and her father do this."

"And we're not going to. The four of us are going out there tonight to find them and stop them," Leo said. She could see he was fighting to calm down, and a spasm of sadness went through her, knowing she was causing his anguish. But she couldn't back down.

"They'll be hiding from you. How do you plan to find them?"

Leo shook his head. "I don't know. But I do know you're not going with us. That's final." His hands were on his hips, and his face was set like stone.

"Yes, I-"

"No!" Leo's roar filled the dojo. It shook through her, filling her with fright and making her stumble backwards. Never had she heard him use that tone. His eyes were cold and dark with temper, and he lunged at her, grabbing her by the shoulders and squeezing them tight enough to bruise. "He'll kill you, Meli. Do you understand that? He wants to _destroy_ you. You almost drowned, twice! And now you want me to let you out there, on the streets, and let him catch you? Are you insane?" He was breathing harshly, his face only an inch from hers. She was afraid to breathe, afraid to say anything. "You are staying _here_. Where it's safe. Where he can't find you." With every word, his grip tightened, until she couldn't take it. Tears pooled in her eyes, blurring her vision, and slid down her cheeks. Leo suddenly seemed to come back to himself, and let go of her, his hands dropping to his sides. "Meli, I-I'm-"

"What the hell?" Raph's snarl broke into Leo's words and Meli found herself being drawn backward quickly and wrapped in her older brother's arms. She tried to stop crying, knowing it would only fuel the bitterness between the two brothers, but fright still clung to her. She hadn't been on the receiving end of a tongue lashing like that before, and even though her common sense told her Leo was only frightened for her, and hadn't meant to hurt her, he had.

"Leo? What happened?" Donnie's tentative voice filtered in from Raph's right side, and Meli saw that he was flanked by April and Mikey.

Leo's shoulders drooped forward, and he couldn't seem to find anything to say. Raph tipped Meli's chin up and looked into her eyes, his gaze hardening at what he found there. He turned toward Leo. "You hurt her, that's what happened," he said. His tone was flat and steely.

"I didn't mean to." Leo's voice was low. "I only want to keep you safe, Meli. And if I let you go up there with us, I can't guarantee your safety. I can't promise that things won't go south."

She tried to pull away from Raph, but he refused to let go of her. "It's okay," she whispered to him, and he finally relented. "Leo." Meli hurried over to him. He wouldn't look at her, and she reached up to touch his cheek. "I know you're scared. I am, too. But you know we have to do whatever it takes to stop them_. Whatever it takes," _she emphasized. "Otherwise, this_ is_ going to continue. They're going to keep kidnapping women and selling them."

"She's right," April said, stepping forward from Donnie's side. "Two women have been murdered already. We have to stop them."

"By putting the girl I love in danger?" Leo shook his head. He met Meli's gaze, and she saw the internal struggle that was raging within him. "I just can't do that. There has to be a better way of finding them." He looked over her head at Raph. "We'll check that warehouse tonight. Even if they've moved the operation, we might be able to find some clues."

"I can put up some surveillance equipment in there," Donnie offered. "Even if they're not using it, we might still pick something up."

"I just want to help," Meli whispered. Leo immediately dropped his gaze down to hers and nodded.

"I know, love. But trust me when I say this: by staying here, where I know you're safe and sound, you _are_ helping. If I know you're here, I can concentrate on the job. If you're down on the street, waiting to get picked up by some of Saito's scum, all I'll do is worry. And you know I don't function as well when I'm worried about you," he said. His voice was soft and gentle, the way he normally spoke to her. She swallowed hard. How could she keep fighting him when she knew how frightened he was for her?

"Okay," she murmured.

"Yeah? You'll stay here?" Leo said. When she nodded, he folded her against his plastron and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "We'll find them. I know we will."

"And when we do, they're goin' down," Raph added. "Meli, you wanna train now?"

"Sure." She eased back out of Leo's arms, and he smiled at her, a glow in his blue eyes.

"Go ahead," he said. He leaned down and gently pressed his mouth to hers, and she sighed against his, enjoying being close to him again. The night before, when they'd gotten back from rescuing him and Donnie, she'd lain as close to him as she could get, praying that she'd never have to feel that sense of loss again.

_I know why he wants to keep me safe. I wish I could do the same for him._ "Are we okay?" she whispered after they drew apart.

"We are," he said, kissing her cheek. "Go ahead and work with Raph. He needs something to do." This he said with a small grin, and she smiled back before turning to her older brother.

"We'll get out of your way," Donnie said, taking hold of April's hand. She followed him out of the dojo, with Mikey trailing along behind. Leo put away his katana and nodded to Raph before leaving, closing the door behind him.

"Boxing or hand-to-hand?" Meli asked. Raph simply stared at her. "What? We are training, right?"

"I can't believe you didn't rip into Leo for what he said, what he did," he told her. "I know he was physically hurting ya, Meli. Ten bucks says he bruised your shoulders." Anger was laced through his words.

She nodded. "He did hurt me. But he wasn't trying to. He was trying to get across the point that he wasn't letting me go topside with you guys tonight. Or any night, until you've stopped Saito and Karai." The kunoichi's name tasted like poison on her tongue.

"And you just let him off the hook?" Raph's eyes were hard.

"Yes. Because you and I both know he's not like that. Ever. And I know he felt awful about what he did. Why make him suffer more?" She knew how terrible Leo would feel if she did end up bruising, and hoped she didn't.

"He scared you." From his tone, Raph indicated that that was unacceptable to him.

Meli took three steps and put her hands on his forearms. "Raph, I'm glad you're protective of me, and of April. I like knowing I can depend on you. But this is between Leo and me, okay? If I'm okay with not yelling at him, then you should be, too." She spoke gently, because she didn't want to hurt his feelings. She trusted Raph every bit as much as she did Leo, because she knew he had her best interests at heart, just like his older brother did. But this really was just between her and Leo, and she knew he'd suffered enough anxiety and stress for awhile. If he wanted her to stay here, she would. Grudgingly, but she'd do it.

Raph let out a deep sigh and frowned. "Okay. But I'm not happy about it."

She smiled. "I know. But just remember: I didn't yell at you, either, after you knocked me down in training yesterday." And that had hurt, too. The back of her head was still tender to the touch. Raph immediately blushed, and a contrite look swept away his frown.

"Good point." He motioned toward the bag. "Well, let's forget about it, then, and get to work. Why don't you stretch, I'll tape your hands, and we'll get to it."

She grinned, stretched up, and planted a small kiss on his cheek, making him blush darker. "Okay." She walked over to the mats and started stretching, allowing just one glance back at her brother. He looked flustered, as he always did when she or April showed him any more physical affection than a hug. _It's good for him. Someday, he'll have a girlfriend, too. _She thought back to what he'd said about rescuing the girl in the old warehouse, and how Mikey had said he thought the girl liked Raph. _Well, what girl wouldn't? He's tough, funny, strong, protective…and sweet when he thinks his brothers aren't paying any attention to him._ A small smile stole across her face, and she finished stretching. Raph motioned her over so he could wrap her hands, and she tried to focus on training. After all, her training had helped keep her safe the night before, and if she got into trouble again, she'd need it. _Especially if I ever run into Karai. _Somewhere inside her heart, she knew she hoped she'd get the chance to face the other girl. _She needs a beat-down for being so mean to Leo, for hurting him. Saying "I love you" and then vanishing on him._ It really was amazing that he had been able to trust her after everything Karai had put him through.

"You ready?" Raph asked, getting to his feet.

"Yes." Meli marched over to the bag and waited for him to take hold of it before making her first throw. She hit it hard enough to make Raph take a step backward, and he stared at her. She didn't give him time to say anything, though – she only wanted to hit something. Hard. _If I ever do get a chance at her, she's going down. I'm going to make her hurt._ The ferocity of her thoughts was startling; she'd never been one to condone violence, but the more she hung with the turtles, the more she was finding that sometimes, violence was the only answer. The only way to set things right. It was why nations went to war against one another, why people sought revenge against those who'd wronged them. _Karai wronged Leo, and she needs to see that she's never getting another chance to do it again. _All of her normal restraint broken, Meli pounded the bag harder and harder, throwing her fists at it with astonishing strength. She wasn't feeling anything but anger toward the ninja girl who'd hurt the one she loved the most.

"Hey."

Meli vaguely heard Raph's voice in the back of her mind but pushed it out. Nothing mattered but getting tougher, getting stronger, so she could defend herself, her boyfriend, and her family. She thought she heard his voice again, but ignored it.

"Meli, stop!"

This time she heard his voice seconds before he grabbed hold of her, pinning her arms to her sides. She struggled against him, but it was no use. He was ten times stronger than she was. Finally realizing her exhaustion, she collapsed against him. Raph eased her down to the floor, his hands careful on her shoulders. "Meli, look at me. Hey." He reached out and tipped her chin up, and she met his worried gaze. He was frowning. "What is going on with you? What was that?" he asked, nodding toward the bag. It was still rocking.

"Just training," she mumbled.

He shook his head. "No, it wasn't. That was out-of-control, beating-the-crap-outta something," he told her. "So what gives?" There was concern in his voice, and she took a deep breath, trying to release all of her anger at Karai. She didn't want to worry her brother.

"I was thinking about Karai, about what she did to Leo," she said. "If I ever get the chance, I want her to hurt like that." She knew it probably sounded stupid, that she would ever be able to take on a fully-trained kunoichi like Karai, but it made sense in her head. Leo was _hers_, and she would protect him as well as she knew how. She chanced a look up at Raph, expecting him to be smirking, or at least looking very doubtful.

But he was looking at her with speculation, and a gleam in his eyes that seemed to expand by the second. "Makes sense to me," he finally said. He reached out and tapped her on the end of the nose. "I can't make you a full-fledge kunoichi like she is, but I can at least give you a shot at putting some hurt on her," he added.

"Really?" Meli didn't want to sound suspicious, but she wasn't sure he could deliver. "You know Leo won't let me anywhere near her."

"No, he won't." Raph grinned. "But I will. With me right there for back-up, of course. I don't want you getting injured."

And he wouldn't let her get hurt, either. If Karai so much as looked like she might really injure Meli, Raph would immediately step in. Meli knew that, and was grateful for it. "But how? It's pretty hard to arrange a fight when your older brother is in charge of the team and will be with you all the time."

"Let me worry about that, okay? Come on. Back to work," Raph said and got to his feet, putting out his hand to haul her back up. "And don't freak out on me again, all right? Working out doesn't require you hurting yourself." His tone had a stern line through it, and she nodded and smiled at him.

"Okay." She got into position as Raph stepped behind to hold the bag, and this time, she concentrated on working without letting thoughts of Karai interfere.


	10. Error

I do not own TMNT. Meli Tompkins and Emma Ford are my creations.

CONFIDENCE

CHAPTER TEN: ERROR

The night air was chilled with the hint of more snow as the four brothers made their way toward enemy territory. Raph was running point, as he knew where the warehouse was where he and Mikey had rescued Emma. A vision of her honey-blonde hair and light green eyes shimmered inside his mind, and he visibly shook his head, trying to dislodge it. He could ill-afford to think of her now. They had criminals to find and take down. Two minutes later and they were next to the building, and Raph led the way in, sais in his hands, ready for action.

He could feel the tension radiating off of Leo, and wished there were some way to make it go away. With Meli and April safe back at the lair, his older brother should've been calmer. But with every step further into the old building, Leo's tension ratcheted upward. Raph heard a small noise and held up his left fist, signaling his brothers to stop. He crept forward, noiseless, and peeked around the corner.

Two men stood in the center of the room. Another girl was strapped into the chair, this one with short dark hair. She was shaking. The men were ignoring her, deep into conversation. Raph's eyes slitted into hard green lines behind his red mask, and he motioned Leo forward. Leo moved to his side without a sound, and Raph saw the immediate anger on his brother's face. Leo held up his hands, over his head, and gave Donnie and Mikey signals. Then he glanced at Raph, who nodded and took a deep breath.

They lunged out of their hiding place and ran straight for the two men. One of the men pulled a pistol and shot at them; Donnie, with his long-reaching bo staff, knocked the gun from his hand and Mikey slid and swept his legs out from beneath him. The second man, obviously more concerned for his own welfare, took off running.

_Oh no, you don't._ Raph leapt and hit him square in the back, taking him down and sprawling him out across the unyielding cement floor. "Stay down," he growled. He glanced up and saw Donnie untying the poor girl, who looked happy to be alive and shocked to death at the same time. Leo and Mikey had the other guy, the gunman, pinned down.

"Donnie, get her to safety," Leo directed. His tone was cold, unemotional. His ninja-mode voice. Donnie nodded and led the girl out of the room. Leo grabbed the guy's hair and jerked his head up. "Tell me where Saito and Karai are," he demanded. They'd already discussed earlier the improbability of Karai returning to the building where she'd stashed Donnie and Leo; she was a smart girl, and would've moved her operation.

_Would've thought they'd move this operation, too,_ Raph mused. But stupidity, on the part of the bad guys, was always good for them. The guy he was holding down moaned and tried to get up. Raph cracked him across the back of the head. "Stay down," he ordered. Not that he wouldn't mind giving the guy a beating, but that wasn't the plan. They just needed the info on Karai so they could hunt her down.

"I don't know," the man told Leo. Leo's face hardened into granite, and he drew one katana, pressing the sharp edge of the blade across the man's throat. The man went absolutely still.

"Are you sure?" Leo asked. Mikey was kneeling at the guy's feet, and the grim expression on his young face indicated that he knew Leo wasn't buying it.

"I'd tell him what you know, dude," Mikey advised. The man let out a big sigh.

"What is it with you turtles and Saito, anyway?" He sighed again, as if knowing he wasn't getting an answer, and added, "Look, they moved camp, okay? You knew where they were, so they moved."

"Yeah, well, we knew they were using this place, too, and you're _still_ using it," Mikey said, shaking his head. "Dumb, if you ask me."

The guy squirmed, which only made Leo's katana slide closer to his skin. "They didn't think you'd come back here, okay? I really don't know where they are!"

"Maybe _you_ do, though," Raph said, and poked his guy on the head. "So? Where are they?"

The guy twisted his head around, a sneer curling his lips. "Closer than you think, you stupid turtle."

A cold shiver touched Raph between the shoulder blades, and he looked up to find Leo and Mikey staring at something behind him. He didn't want to turn his head, but had to know what was there.

Karai smiled at the three of them. "Do you really think I'd be naive enough to think you wouldn't come here again?" She walked past Raph, straight toward Leo, who straightened and held his katana out toward her.

"Stop, Karai," he ordered. "You know we're going to shut you and Saito down."

"Oh, are you? Really? Well, that would be disappointing. You see, we have all kinds of orders to fill for our clients," she said. She stopped at the point of his sword, the tip of it touching her chest. "What now, Leonardo? Are you going to arrest me?" Her voice had a sneering quality to it, and Leo's eyes narrowed. "Where is your darling Meli tonight? Hidden away?" She grinned then, and Leo shifted forward, driving the tip of his katana harder against her chest.

"You're finished, Karai. You and I both know that," Leo told her. "You're going to jail." He glanced over her head at Raph, who was watching with rapt attention. "Call the police."

"Got it." Raph jerked his phone off his belt and made to punch in the standard 911. As he made the call, talking to the nice, calm woman on the other end and explaining that there was a very dangerous criminal the police needed to pick up, he saw Karai whip out her own katanas and Leo draw his second one. This was gonna be good. He quickly hung up and placed his phone back on his belt. _Karai might as well give up right now._

"Give up, Karai," Leo said. He left the bad guy in Mikey's capable hands and advanced on the pretty kunoichi. She raised an eyebrow.

"You know that won't happen," she said. She took a fighting stance. Leo gritted his teeth and waited. Karai smiled again. "You're such a gentleman, Leonardo, waiting on the lady. Does Meli appreciate that quality as much as me?"

It seemed to trigger something deep within Leo, and with a snarl he lunged and twisted to the side, anticipating Karai's attempt to avoid his strike. His right katana sliced through the thin fabric covering her left arm, and a look of outrage crossed her face. She huffed out a breath and lunged at him, but Leo was on his game and moved too fast for her strike to land.

Raph tied up the bad guy at his feet before bringing his attention back to his brother's fight. Karai was angry, and with every thrust of her katana, every step to parry against Leo's, she was losing her control. Raph grinned; Leo was nothing if not cool in combat, and it was actually fun to watch as the kunoichi grew hotter and his brother colder. But his hearing, sharp as ever, picked up the wail of police sirens, and he called out, "We gotta go! Cops!"

Leo drove in hard, closing the distance between himself and Karai. She jerked backward, flipping over, landing on all fours, a sneer cutting cruelly through her mouth. "Give up, Karai," Leo demanded.

"Leo, we gotta go," Raph said, urgency running through his voice.

Karai leaped back to her feet and glanced at Raph. "The police can't handle me," she told him. Raph glared at her, and she tossed her head. "And neither can any of you." With that she threw down what looked like a grenade, and a bellow of black smoke rolled out from where it struck the floor. Raph heard Leo swear and ran toward him; the last thing they needed was Karai to get a jump on Leo and take him down or hurt him.

But he needn't have worried - she didn't stick around to bother anymore with them. The three turtles ran through the smoke and escaped out the back door before the cops burst in. They sprinted across the street and climbed the roof. Leo stepped to the edge and stared at the New York skyline. Mikey glanced at Raph; the uneasiness in his baby brother's gaze made Raph uneasy himself. They needed to keep searching if they wanted to find Saito.

"What happened down there?" Donnie's soft voice broke the moment, and Raph turned to him, seeing his younger brother's bewilderment.

"What happened is that I let Karai escape." Leo's flat tone made all three of his brothers look at him. He was still facing away from them, his body taut with fury. "I should've taken her down when I had the chance."

"So why didn't you?" Donnie asked. His voice was still soft, but questioning. Leo finally turned to face them, and there was doubt in his eyes, doubt that Raph didn't like the look of.

"I don't know." The words were quiet. "We need to keep looking. Come on." Leo turned to go.

"We find her again, we gotta lock her down," Raph said. His voice wasn't loud, but carried on the breeze that swept across the roof, swirling snowflakes all over the place.

"I know, Raph." Leo glanced at him over his shoulder. "Let's go."

The four brothers moved as one shadow across the rooftops. They scoured the Dragons' territory, looking for anyone who could give them information. Two hours later, they finally hit pay dirt with a group of young men hanging out near a local bar. After some good turtle/bad turtle, and Mikey swinging his nunchuks around for affect, they got the information they'd been seeking all night, and raced across the roofs to an old dilapidated building down on the waterfront.

"Nice," Raph said, his comment earning a look from Leo. "What? I like it. Looks like the crap that's using it."

"All right." Leo motioned to his brothers to huddle up. He eyed each of them for a second. "This is it. Saito and Karai are going to prison. This is where it ends." The conviction in his voice was sharp and direct, and each brother nodded, serious. Leo led the attack.

The building wasn't large; it consisted of only four rooms. Leo split them and they each searched one. Raph stepped cautiously into his chosen room and stood, eyes widening in horror. Five young women, all about Meli and April's ages, were chained by their wrists to the wall. None of them were awake; Raph moved closer, his heart pounding with agony for them. They all sported bruises and one of them had what looked like a knife wound in her lower leg. Anger, thick and suffocating, rose high within him, and he rounded in a rush to get his brothers.

But as he ran from the room, he was tripped up and went headlong into a wall. Roaring with rage, he jumped to his feet and spun, only to take a shot to the face that drove his head back. He heard Leo yell and pushed himself off the wall, sais outstretched, aiming for whoever got within range.

"Dude!" Mikey yelled and Raph swung his head, seeing his youngest brother go down with a yell. Three Foot were surrounding the turtle in orange; Raph knew Mikey was in trouble and charged for him. He discharged two of the ninjas, while the third slipped away and headed for Donnie, who'd taken out two Foot but was backed into a corner.

Leo was taking on four by himself, but Raph saw he was handling it fine, and proceeded to jerk Mikey to his feet. "Help Donnie," he directed the youngest, and ran for Leo. They needed to get rid of the Foot and free the girls who were trapped inside the room he'd been in. But before he got to his older brother, Leo had taken care of all four of his enemies, and was barely breathing hard. He met Raph's gaze; Raph stopped and just stared at him. Leo's eyes were hollow, empty. Even in ninja mode, his eyes had never looked so dead. Raph fought off a chill.

"They're all down," Donnie said, running up to them. Leo glanced at him; Donnie, too, seemed immediately stunned by the coldness in his oldest brother's gaze. "Leo?"

Leo ignored him and nodded at Raph. "You find anything?"

"Yeah." Raph had to take a second to remember what. "Girls, five of 'em. They're chained to a wall in the room I was in," he said, and proceeded to lead his brothers in a run to the unfortunate young women. He heard Donnie using soft Japanese beneath his breath; Mikey looked too shocked to say anything, and Leo just stood there. Raph moved quickly to the girls and used one of his sai to break open the lock on the first girl's chains. When none of his brothers moved, he growled over his shoulder, "C'mon. Help them."

That spurred them into action, and soon, the turtles had the girls free from the chains. One of the girls, a petite redhead that reminded Raph way too much of April, blinked up in confusion at him. He smiled, trying to be reassuring. "It's okay," he said.

"Do you really think you're getting away with this?"

_Aw, damn. Not now._ Raph glanced over his burly shoulder and saw Karai, with three Foot flanking her, standing in the doorway to the room. He saw Leo jerk to his feet, that same cold, dead look in his blue eyes.

"Don, Mike, Raph. Get the girls out," he ordered. "I'll take Karai."

She smiled, a devilish gleam in her dark eyes. "We'll see about that, Leonardo." She motioned to the ninjas in black behind her. "Take them."

Yeah, like that was going to happen. As Raph and his two brothers plunged into action, he saw Leo give chase to Karai, who had fled the room. The three Foot proved to be a little bit of a match, but it wasn't enough to stop the turtles. Once the Foot were down, they led the girls from the room, making sure to watch out for Karai. Raph went first, with Donnie trailing the procession. Mikey walked to the side of the five girls, and seemed to be preoccupied by a couple of them. Raph didn't hear any fighting going on, and wondered where in the world his older brother had gone. Were he and Karai on the roof?

"Donnie, you and Mikey stay with the girls. Call the cops," Raph directed once they were outside. He knew his brothers weren't crazy about hanging around; it wouldn't be good for reports of giant mutant turtles running around New York to hit the media. Still, they couldn't very well leave the girls alone. They'd been through enough. Even as they both nodded, he was jumping onto the nearest fire escape and climbing upward, hoping to find Leo. But when he reached the flat top of the building, his brother and the kunoichi were nowhere to be seen. Raph turned in slow circles, scanning, his heart racing. _I should've followed them. What if he needs me?_ As he was about to climb back down and go back to his brothers, he heard a scream. The sound had him spinning around and running for the far edge of the building. Skidding to a halt, he stared out into the inky blackness. Lights from across the river skipped on the dark water.

He listened hard, but heard nothing. It hadn't been Leo's cry; of that he was sure, but had it been Karai's? He knelt on the edge and peered down at the water, and saw movement on one of the piers. Jumping to his feet, he vaulted onto a large pile of old cargo boxes and hit the ground running. Leo stood on the pier, staring at the water. Raph slowed down to a jog, not wanting to startle him. But even as he came to stand next to him, Leo didn't acknowledge him. At all.

"Leo? What happened?" he asked. When Leo didn't say anything, but continued looking down at the water, Raph's gut twisted. "Did Karai…did she fall in?" he finally asked, his voice a notch above a whisper.

Leo took a long, deep breath. "She dove in. I wounded her, pretty badly, and she – she just jumped in." There was disbelief in his voice. "And she hasn't surfaced, not that I can see."

"And you didn't go in after her?" Raph's voice rose with anxiety. "Leo—"

"Come on. We need to make sure those girls are safe and taken care of." Leo spoke abruptly, and turned away.

"But we can't just leave her," Raph argued. Yes, Karai was their enemy, someone who had betrayed them more times than he could count. And she was doing horrible things. But she was still a person, and if she was in danger, they should help her. It was the way of the ninja, the way Splinter had trained them._ And after we rescue her, we can hand her over to the police._

Leo stopped and slowly turned back to face him. The look in his eyes froze Raph to the ground. "She's not our responsibility, Raphael. She never was. Our responsibility is to those poor girls Karai was going to sell as slaves." His tone was cold.

Raph wasn't able to say anything, so chilled was he by his older brother's words. But as Leo started away again, he called out to him, "We should at least try—"

"No." Leo's snarl over his shoulder ended whatever Raph wanted to say. "She's evil, Raph. She brought this on herself by staying by the Shredder's side. We owe her _nothing._" He took off on a run, and Raph swallowed down the anger that had been building and followed.

They found Donnie and Mikey crouched on a rooftop four buildings away. They both wore frowns of concern. "Leo, are you okay?" Donnie asked. Leo gave a curt nod.

"I'm fine. Did the girls get to safety?" he asked.

"They did. I called the police, and they have the girls now," Donnie confirmed. He glanced at Raph, who shrugged. This side of Leo, this cold, unfeeling, _bitter_ side, was one they'd never seen before.

"Good. Now let's find Saito." Leo made to turn away, but Donnie reached out and touched his arm.

"What about Karai? Did you turn her in?" he asked, his voice careful, quiet.

"I wounded her badly, and she dove into the river." Leo pulled away from him. "Come on."

Mikey and Donnie's gazes flew to Raph, who was tired of trying to decipher Leo's mood and motivation. "Don't ask," he growled and followed after Leo, who hadn't bothered to wait and see if they'd follow him. He knew they would.

They searched for two more hours, and found no sign of the big lizard. Mikey was starting to drag, and Raph could feel Donnie's anxiousness at being away from the lair and April for so long. Moving to stand beside Leo, Raph said, "Let's go back to the lair. Meli will want to see you."

"I know. I want to see her, too. But this has to end, Raph. We don't even know what happened to Karai, and Saito is still out there, still stealing girls." The defeat, the quiet desperation in Leo's soft voice, made Raph want to punch something hard. There hadn't been nearly enough fighting this night for his taste.

"I know. But you gotta know when to quit for the night." Raph gestured over his shoulder at their younger brothers. "They need to go home and get some rest. We'll be out here again tomorrow night." He spoke firmly.

Leo sighed and nodded. "You're probably right. And they are tired."

Raph grunted. "So are you."

Leo threw a smirk his way. "And you." He took a deep breath. "You were right, back on the docks. I should've gone in after her."

"I understand why you didn't," Raph told him. "She's an enemy, and she's hurting people on purpose. And she's not our responsibility."

"She wants to hurt Meli." Leo's voice was dark with anger now. "I can't let that happen. I _won't_ let that happen." He took another deep, cleansing breath. "Meli is everything to me, Raph. When Karai went in, I just froze. I knew if she drowned, we'd be rid of her. Forever. And that would mean one less person threatening Meli, and one less person kidnapping girls off the street. I couldn't make myself jump in." He stared out over the cityscape. "But I should've. I should've tried to save her. It wasn't the ninja way to let her die."

"We don't know for sure that she did," Raph quickly pointed out. "You said it yourself: we don't know what happened. For all we know, she's alive and back with Saito. And really pissed off." He tried to temper his words with humor, but knew it was lacking.

Leo tried to smile, but it didn't make it across his face. "Come on. I need to see Meli. And I'm tired."

Raph nodded and glanced over at Donnie and Mikey, who were waiting quietly together, their eyes on their older brothers. They both looked worn-out, and Raph was glad he hadn't had to force Leo into seeing that they needed a break. As they jogged across the rooftop toward the gap, he wondered about Karai. _Did she drown? Did Leo hurt her bad enough that she couldn't get to shore? But if she was hurt that bad, why did she jump into the water?_ The answer was obvious, of course: to avoid capture. Raph growled something unintelligible below his breath as they cleared the gap and kept jogging.

Twenty minutes later they reached the lair, and both girls rushed to greet them. Meli hugged Leo tightly and then hurried to give him one as well. Raph drew her to his plastron and kissed the top of her head. She stepped back and gazed up at him, searching his eyes. "We're okay," he whispered, hoping to reassure her. "We're all right."

"Good." She smiled and quickly hugged Donnie and Mikey before returning to Leo, who scooped her up into his arms and carried her through the pit and into their room. It had ceased being just Leo's room a long time ago.

April and Donnie retired to the lab, and Mikey made like a bandit for the kitchen. Raph sighed and trudged toward the dojo. He saw Splinter moving through the shadows along the wall toward Leo's room, and smirked. His older brother wasn't quite off the hook yet. After ridding himself of his weapons, he headed for the bathroom and long hot shower.

Standing beneath the stream of water, he finally relaxed and started to let down. It hadn't been a bad night; they'd found and rescued six young women, who would now be safe from a life of slavery and horror. _And we'll find Saito. We won't give up until he's behind bars._ And if Karai had indeed survived, which he figured she did, they'd hunt her down again, too, and this time there would be no errors in judgment, no reprieve for the kunoichi. She'd be going to prison.


	11. Accepted

I don't own TMNT. Meli Tompkins and Emma Ford do, however, belong to me. Please don't borrow them.

Again, thank you for all the reviews and interest. I know that some of you might be doubting Leo's actions, particularly those of the last chapter, but don't worry. He is the true north of the brothers, and he isn't losing his way.

CONFIDENCE

CHAPTER ELEVEN: ACCEPTED

Meli sat beside Leo on his bed and listened as he told Splinter about the night's activities. She swallowed back her anger at Karai and Saito for the girls they'd been planning to send into slavery, and her heart dropped when Leo explained why he hadn't followed Karai into the cold water of the river. She reached for his right hand, his engulfing hers, his hold tight, as if he desperately needed her lifeline. Splinter's ears flattened as Leo finished talking, and Meli braced herself for the anger she felt sure was coming.

But when the ninjutsu master spoke, it was with calm. "I am disappointed, Leonardo, that you did not attempt to rescue Karai, yet I understand your reasoning for not doing so." Splinter's eyes flickered to Meli for a second. "You did, however, save all those young women from a terrible life, and for that, you and your brothers are to be commended."

Leo looked up at him, and Meli could feel the tension radiating through his body. "I'm sorry, Sensei. I should've tried to help Karai," he said, and the pain in his voice over his error broke Meli's heart. She wanted to reassure him somehow, but wasn't sure what she could say.

_It's my fault he didn't try to help her. If I wasn't in the picture, Leo would've gone in after her._ The knowledge of this weighed upon her heavily, yet she couldn't bring herself to voice aloud her thoughts. Even though she'd fought with him about going topside to try and help, she was glad he'd made her stay down here.

Splinter considered his Leo's pain-filled words. "What has been done cannot be undone, my son. It is best not to dwell on it, but to look ahead and make plans for the next time you meet the enemy." The big rat placed a paw carefully on Leo's shoulder, giving it a deep squeeze.

"Hai, Sensei." Leo's voice was low, despondent, and Splinter shared a quick concerned with Meli before leaving their room. Meli focused on Leo as soon as Splinter left, wrapping her left arm around him.

"Leo…" She wasn't sure what to say. She wanted desperately to make him feel better.

He turned his head to look at her, and the fierceness in his blue eyes took her by surprise. "I won't let them hurt you. That's why I didn't follow Karai in, Meli. I knew if she didn't make it, that would be one less person trying to find you, trying to hurt you." His voice was low, and didn't match his eyes.

"I know." She rubbed his shell. "You guys have told me how tough she is. I doubt she would've dived in if she didn't think she'd make it out. She probably just wants you to think she's dead. That way she can go sneak around without you knowing."

He nodded. "I think so, too. But I also know I should've at least tried to find her." He sighed and hung his head. "Some leader I'm being."

"Hey, don't say that. You're the most caring guy I've ever met. It's not your fault she chose to dive in," Meli said. She spoke gently, and continued rubbing his shell soothingly. "And Splinter's right – you guys saved all those girls. A less competent leader wouldn't have been able to do that."

He squeezed her hand. "Thanks." He got up and stretched, turning to face her. "I'm beat."

She smiled. "I bet." She patted the bed. "Come on. Time for some rest."

He sat down again and leaned his head on her shoulder, and she tipped her head to rest against his. They sat quietly for several moments, and then he got back up. "I'm going to take a shower, and then we can get some sleep." He leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Thanks for believing in me," he whispered.

"Always," she whispered back. He smiled and headed off, and she laid down on his bed, pulling the warm comforter up over her. She couldn't imagine a time when she wouldn't believe in her ninja turtle hero. They'd been through so much together already, and they'd only been together for two months. She wondered if Raph was all right; he'd said they were all fine, but she knew how deep he buried his own emotions and thoughts. Deciding to check on him, she got out of bed and headed to his room, knocking politely.

The door opened and he stuck his head out, frowning when he saw her. "What?"

Taken aback a little by the gruffness, she said, "I was just coming to see if you were really okay. From what Leo told Splinter, it was a rough night for you guys."

He sighed and opened the door a little more so he could lean against the door frame. "It wasn't bad. We rescued some girls."

She nodded, unsure now if she should've bothered him. He looked tired, exhausted, actually, and she hated keeping him from sleep. "Okay. Well, get some rest." Before she could turn away, though, he reached out and snagged her shoulder, turning her back around.

"Thanks for checkin' on me," he said. His voice was softer now, and his eyes were warm with sincerity.

She smiled and touched his arm. "You're welcome. Its part of my sisterly duties, you know. Have to make sure my big brother is really all right."

"You better head back to your room. Leo'll be looking for ya," he said, nodding. Meli glanced over her shoulder in time to see Leo disappear into their room, and smiled. She couldn't wait to cuddle up with him.

"See you in the morning," she said, and he nodded and stepped back, shutting his door. Meli made her way back to her room and found Leo stretched out on his side, his blue mask on the small table next to his bed, and his eyes closed. She paused, musing how amazingly gentle and serene he appeared while resting. What was even more amazing was how fast he could go into ninja mode if needed. She climbed into bed and snuggled up to him, pushing her face against his plastron. He murmured and kissed the top of her head.

"Good night," he whispered and wrapped an arm around her, holding her securely to him.

"'Night," she said. She began sinking into her dreams, knowing that if they turned into nightmares, like they often did, he would be right there to protect and comfort her.

The next morning, she awoke to empty bed. It wasn't surprising; Splinter often had the boys up at six or before to do their morning training. Still, it would've been nice to laze around in bed with Leo a little. She got up and grabbed a set of clothes, then headed to the shower. She saw April and Mikey sitting on the couch, and waved before going into the bathroom. It was still warm inside, the mirror fogged over, so someone had just recently been there. _Hmph. Hope they left some hot water!_ If it had been Mikey, the hot water would be gone. She turned the water on, and was immediately grateful for the warm rain of water. She took a quick shower, dried and dressed, and wandered out to the pit, where April and Mikey were playing the X-box.

"Where's everyone else?" Meli asked, settling down in Raph's old recliner.

April glanced at her. "Not sure. Splinter sent them off somewhere."

"Just those three?" Meli looked at Mikey; the youngest brother didn't look at all perturbed to have been left behind.

"Sensei said I didn't have to go." Mikey threw a quick glance her way. "It's cool though. I get to stay and hang out with you guys."

Meli got up and went to the kitchen, her stomach rumbling. _I wonder what Splinter has them doing? More training? But why not Mikey?_ Raph always complained that his youngest brother needed more training than the rest of them. _I'm sure Splinter has good reasons._ She'd learned the ninjutsu master didn't do anything without having a purpose or reason. She grabbed a granola bar and a bottle of water and went back out to the pit to watch her siblings play their game. But the game could only hold her interest for so long, and feeling edgy without knowing why, she got up and headed toward the turnstiles.

"Where you going?" Mikey called.

"Just for a little walk," she called back and hopped over. She didn't figure either would follow her, and she didn't intend on wandering too far. Being in the tunnels by herself gave her a strong sense of the proverbial creeps. As she walked away from the lair, she glanced over her shoulder. _I wish Leo was here._ His ninja training was extremely important, and she knew his job as leader was too, but it was nice when he could just be with her, without his other responsibilities weighing on him. _That's what makes him so great, though. He cares so much about everything, and everyone._ All he had to do was look at her, and she was instantly warmed through by the intensity of his love for her. She hoped he felt the same way when she looked at him, too. _I hope he knows just how much I love him._

"Meli."

She turned, a smile breaking over her face as Leo loped toward her. He wasn't smiling, though, and even before he opened his mouth, she knew whatever it was he had to say, it wouldn't be good. "Leo? What's wrong?"

"There was a police raid last night, down by the docks. Must've been after we were there." He stopped in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders, squeezing gently. "They found two police detectives murdered. They were undercover." His voice was soft, full of regret. "It sounds like the cops were looking for drugs. They said the two murdered officers looked like they'd been run through with swords."

Meli's blood chilled. "Do you think Karai did it?"

He was solemn, his eyes devoid of any emotion. "We think so. She must've survived her swim and happened upon the officers. Some of the Foot ninja carry swords, too, but we're assuming it was her."

"So what now, then?"

He dropped his hands from her shoulders and crossed his arms over his plastron. His eyes grew hard. "Now we go after her and turn her in. No mistakes, no errors, this time. This time she pays."

The cold of his voice sunk deep into her bones. There would be no rest for the boys until they'd put Karai down. She had the feeling she and April would be spending a lot of time with just each other and Splinter for company. _And there's no way now that Raph will get me a chance at her, either._ But somehow, that didn't matter as much as it had the day before. She still wanted to hurt the kunoichi for what she'd done to Leo, but murdering police officers was an offense much larger than breaking a heart. The authorities needed the chance to see justice done for their lost comrades.

"You okay?" Leo asked, and she looked up at him, wishing that she could tell him she was fine.

"No, not really." Meli shuddered. "I just wish she'd stayed in Japan instead of coming back here. I hate that she's hurting people, killing them possibly, and that you guys have to be the ones to take her down." She took a quiet breath and locked eyes with him. "And I wish I could hurt her back for you, for everything she ever did to you." Her words were nothing more than a whisper and Leo's eyes softened as he reached for her, drawing her into a tight, warm embrace against his plastron.

"I know, love, but it's okay. What she did to me doesn't compare to what we think she's done now," he said. "I just wish I'd gone in after her last night. If I had, maybe those officers would still be alive." The abrupt sadness in his voice cut Meli, and she hugged him hard, trying to reassure him somehow.

"If she did murder those men, Leo, it's on her. You had nothing to do with it. Besides, maybe she was too injured to hurt them. Maybe it was one of the Foot, or one of Saito's men," she said.

"We thought about that, but Karai has a temper. She would've been extremely ticked off at us for what happened, and if she came across those guys and figured they were snooping around…" He trailed off, and Meli felt a shiver go through him. She leaned harder on him, wishing she could take away the stress and the burden he was carrying.

"Leo?"

Meli turned and saw Raph waiting for them. His eyes met hers for a moment, and she saw something menacing lurking in their emerald depths, something raw and undefined. She fought off a shudder.

"What is it, Raph?" Leo asked. He kept one arm around Meli, and she was glad for the constant warm contact. She had the feeling she wouldn't get too much more of it once they started hunting Karai.

"Splinter wants to see you." Raph spoke calmly, but anyone who knew him would be able to see the temper raging beneath the surface. He held out his hand to Meli. "You can hang with me until he's done."

Knowing it would make it easier on Leo if he knew she was being protected, even here in the tunnels close to the lair, she nodded and walked over to Raph. He gave her hand a squeeze. Leo nodded to them both and walked off, and Meli's chest ached at the despondency she saw in his demeanor.

"It's not his fault those two officers were murdered," she whispered, turning to look at Raph. He sighed.

"Yeah, we all know that. But he's the leader. You know he takes that stuff to heart."

"Splinter's not going to yell at him, is he?" She couldn't hide the worry in her voice. Leo was already upset over what had happened. He didn't need to have his father yelling at him about it.

"Nah. He just wants to talk strategy with him for tonight, that's all." Raph squeezed her hand. "Come on. You want to do some training? It'll take your mind offa things."

_I don't feel like training. I just want to cuddle up with Leo and forget about everything that's happening._ But that was a coward's way of thinking, so she squared her shoulders and nodded. "Okay."

Raph led her back to the lair, and she saw that Mikey alone was playing the X-box. He glanced at them, and she hated how lost he looked, how out-of-sorts. _I hate that this is happening to them. Why did Saito have to get involved with the Shredder and Karai? Why didn't she just stay in Japan?_ Raph didn't give her much time to contemplate any further; he taped her hands and got her working almost immediately. She knew that it was good, that dwelling on things they couldn't change would only make her angry and sad, but yet her heart just wasn't into the training today. When Raph grabbed the bag and scowled at her, she sighed.

"I'm sorry. I just can't concentrate right now," she apologized.

"No apologies." He let go of the bag and walked over to her. "You can't change anything. Two police officers are dead now, and maybe Karai killed them. Maybe she didn't. But you can guarantee she's going down. We'll find her and hand-deliver her to the cops if we have to." His voice had a growl in it that made Meli's arms goose-pimple and she looked down, away from his hard eyes. "She crossed a line last night, but I don't want you worrying about it, okay? That's what we're for." He stepped back and gestured toward the training mats. "Wanna try hand- to- hand now? I'll take it slow this time."

She swallowed hard. She knew by training her, Raph was able to escape his own thoughts for a little while. "Sure."

"Like I said, I'll take it slow." They got positioned on the mats, and Raph began teaching her the finer points in hand-to-hand. Soon, she was too busy learning and doing what she was instructed to think of anything else. An hour later, Raph backed off and she flopped down on the mats, sweaty and breathing hard. He brought her a bottle of water and sat down next to her.

"Ya did good," he said. "You're a quick learner."

"Thanks." She closed her eyes and concentrated on steadying her breathing, the way Leo had taught her. _Leo. I wish I could make all this go away for you._

"Hey, it'll all work out. The bad guys can't hide forever from us," he said, his voice quiet.

"I know." She looked up at him. "I just wish it was over. I wish Saito had left and gone to Japan, and that Karai had never come back."

"Yeah, don't we all." Raph sighed and finished his bottle. He got up and reached a hand down to her. "Hit the shower. I'm sure Mikey's got lunch going by now."

"Okay." She let him pull her to her feet, still in awe of his raw strength, and before he could turn away, took hold of his forearm. He looked at her, a questioning expression on his face. "I just wanted to thank you, for this." She swept her free hand around the dojo. "It did keep my mind off things, at least for an hour."

He smiled. "You're welcome, sis." He hooked an arm around her shoulders and steered her toward the door. "We gotta stick together when things get crazy."

She leaned on him as a lump formed in her throat. There were no words that could adequately express what she was feeling right then, with those honest words of his ringing in her ears. That he accepted her as his younger sister, with all of her faults, knowing that it was because of her that Saito had stuck around New York City and was causing them so many problems, was overwhelming. Tears welled in her eyes, and she sniffled delicately, hoping he wouldn't hear her.

"Hey." Raph stopped and turned her to face him. He lifted her chin with one thick finger and stared at her. "We're gonna be okay. All of us. I promise."

She nodded, and reached up to brush away the tears clinging to her eyelashes. "I know. I just…I love you guys." She touched her chest, right over her heart. "So much. You don't know what it means to me that you guys took me in, accepted me as part of the family, accepted me as Leo's girlfriend. I can't even put into words what that means to me." She paused, and added in a whisper, "What _you_ mean to me."

He watched her for several seconds, and she wondered if maybe he didn't know what to say to her. She supposed springing this on him wasn't the nicest thing to do, especially when he tried to keep his own feelings under control. As she was about to walk away, he reached around her and cradled her tightly to his chest, one strong hand coming up to tuck her head into his neck. Meli sighed softly and relaxed into him. Being held by Raph was different from Leo, and yet a bit the same. She felt safe and secure, like nothing bad could ever touch her as long as she was in either of their arms. Yet the way Leo held her was more protective, more _mine_, as if she were solely his, and always would be. Raph held her for a few more long moments, and then eased her out from him. She met his gaze, and found his eyes shining bright with something that looked suspiciously like tears.

"Come on. If the food is done and we don't get out there, Mikey might eat all of it," she said, taking his large hand and tugging gently on it. He nodded, a grin sliding over his face.

"Got that right," he said. Together they left the dojo, and Meli parted to go take another quick shower. Raph kissed the top of her head before letting go of her, and she winked at him, knowing he was ever-grateful that she hadn't asked him for words. What he'd given her was far better, anyway. Ten minutes later she stepped into the kitchen, expecting the mood to be a little lighter. Instead, Leo folded her into a tight hug and held her so close she thought she would pass out from lack of oxygen.

"What happened?" she asked once he let go of her.

He reached up to tuck some loose hair behind her ears. "I heard your phone go off, and saw that you had a text message." He studied her for a second. "I probably shouldn't have, but I checked it." His gaze dropped to the floor, as if he expected to be scolded.

"And?" she prompted. "Who was it from?"

He brought his eyes back to hers, and she cringed inwardly. "It was from your dad."

"Dad? Is he okay? He never texts me. He always says he can't get the hang of it." She was about to ramble on a little more, but when Leo took hold of her face, his big hands gentle, she stopped. Ice started flowing through her veins, and her breath fogged in her chest. "Leo?"

"Saito has him, love."


	12. Break-In

I don't own TMNT or its associated characters. I do own, as they are my creation, Meli Tompkins and Emma Ford.

CONFIDENCE

CHAPTER TWELVE: BREAK-IN

Meli's knees buckled at the precise time that Leo caught and held her tight in his arms. "Shh, love, everything will be okay," he murmured. His voice was quiet, with a strong ring of steel in it. "I promise, we're going to get him back."

She nodded her head against his chest, unable to say anything. Everything was numb; she couldn't even shed tears for her wayward father right now. She knew Saito would most likely want to exchange her father for her, and even more likely, that that wasn't going to happen. Leo, nor his brothers, would ever go for that. "What does Saito want?" she finally whispered, tilting her head back to look at him.

His eyes met hers, and there was a war raging in them. "He wants _you_, but we all know that's not going to happen." He set her down in a chair and sat next to her. From across the table, their brothers, sister, and father watched them, all with compassion and anger churning in their gazes.

"So what now?" Meli asked. Her voice trembled. Never had she thought her father would get involved; Saito was obsessed with her, and she hadn't guessed that he would go after someone else. _I'm so stupid. I should've warned Dad. _But how, exactly, did one warn their father that he might find himself being hunted by a giant mutant lizard?

"First off, this isn't your fault," Leo said. He took gentle hold of her chin and made her look at him again. "None of us thought he'd go this far. Second of all, we're going to get him back, no matter what it takes." He looked across the table at their family, and Raph nodded once.

"We'll get him back, Meli," he said.

She tried to nod, to agree with him, but the act of performing something so reassuring was beyond her capacity. How would they get him back? Where was he being held? "Where is he?" she asked, directing the question to Leo.

"The text said he's being held here in New York, but no specific place. Saito wants to trade him for you." His voice was hard.

Raph snorted. "Yeah, like that's gonna happen."

"What if you don't hand me over?" Meli hated to ask. She figured she already knew what her father's fate would be.

Leo put his hands on her upper arms, as if to steady her. "He said he'll kill him. But you know we won't let that happen. We're going out tonight to look for him."

"And Karai?" Meli asked.

"She takes a backseat until your father is safe," Leo reassured her. "If we run across her, we'll deal with her, but we're going after your dad."

"Okay." There wasn't anything else she could say right then. Somehow, she supposed, she'd known Saito would pull something like this, something horrific to try and draw her out.

"It's going to be all right," Leo whispered to her, leaning close. "I promise. I'm going to make this right." The devotion, the depth of his love for her, was evident in his hushed voice, and only then did Meli break. She hunched forward, into his arms, as the tears first filled and then overflowed her tired hazel eyes. She wasn't sure how long she cried; when she was able to pull away, to feel the stickiness of the tears on her cheeks, she saw that everyone else had gone. Leo hugged her again, holding her close, and his warmth, his strength, made it a little better. No matter what happened, he was going to be here for her.

"I wish I could do something," she whispered.

"You can, love. Stay here where it's safe, where they can't find you," he told her. "I know it's frustrating, but it's the only thing you can do right now."

His words echoed in her head, and she bit the inside of her cheek hard to hold back the sobs. Her father had started this whole mess with Saito by sending her that ancient, curse-ridden scroll, and so embroiling her in a war for dominance. But he didn't deserve this. None of them did. Leo got to his feet and gently helped her to hers. "Come on," he said, taking her hand and leading her to the pit. The others were missing, hiding, probably, not wanting to be witness to her falling apart. She and Leo snuggled down on the couch, his arms solid and comforting around her, and she eventually drifted off into a sleep full of monsters and lost men.

When she was awoken, she found herself staring into Raph's green eyes. He was frowning as he studied her. "You going to be okay while we're gone?" he asked.

"April and Splinter will be here," she said.

"That's not what I asked." His tone was short.

She sighed and sat up. "What do you want me to say, Raphael? That I'll be peachy-keen while you guys are out running around, searching for my father who was kidnapped by a big ugly mutant lizard? Because you know I won't be." She could snap right back if provoked enough.

His gaze warmed. "No, but you'll manage." He hugged her and added, "We'll find him."

"I know." And she did know. She trusted in her boyfriend and brothers to do what they promised to do. She just wished she could help out more than just staying hidden in the lair.

"Stay _here_, Meli." Raph let go of her and got to his feet. His eyes had gone hard again. "You won't like me much if I find out you left the lair."

"Going to Hulk out, are you?" she said. She put just enough sarcasm in her voice to annoy him. "You're already green." His eyes slitted.

"That's not funny."

"Wasn't meant to be." Meli got up and pushed past him. She saw the others gathered near the turnstiles; Leo was already heading toward her now that she was awake. "You weren't leaving without saying goodbye, were you?" she asked.

Leo's eyes widened. "No, not at all. I wanted you to sleep as long as you could. You need the rest." He looked over her shoulder at Raph, who came up behind her. "But someone apparently felt the need to wake you." His voice churned into a growl.

"Shut up," Raph said, walking by and purposely nudging his older brother with his shoulder.

Leo sighed and kissed Meli's forehead. "Stay here, okay? If anything comes up, I'll text you."

"Okay. Be careful. All of you." She hugged him, wishing he could stay with her.

"We will. Don't worry." Leo gave her a squeeze and turned away, and she saw the boys shifting into ninja mode. Even Mikey, normally so affable and fun, wore a mask of calm indifference. Meli shivered and walked over to stand beside April, who reached out and put an arm around her younger sister, drawing her close to her side. They watched the turtles go, and then returned to the pit.

"Are you hungry?" April asked. "Donnie and I made seafood. It's actually pretty good."

"Maybe later. But thanks." Meli couldn't think about eating. Her stomach was one gigantic knot. And she didn't feel like working out, or even hitting anything. She just felt…empty.

"They're going to get your father back." April's voice was low but emphatic. "They rescued my dad, and they'll rescue yours. You have to believe in them."

Meli nodded. "I do. More than anyone else, more than anything." She believed with her whole heart. But she was drained, emotionally tired. She sat down on the couch and stared at the blank TV screen. April sat beside her and clicked on the TV. A movie, some old drama, was running, and April switched to the guide, running through all the available channels.

"See anything you want to watch?" she asked.

"You can choose," Meli said. She put her head back and closed her eyes. Ten minutes later, her phone buzzed, and she grabbed it, reading the quick text from Leo. April watched her with an expectant look on her face. "Leo said they saw Karai, but she didn't engage, so they let her go."

"Ugh. I really dislike that girl," April said. "They'll find her later."

"At least they know she's alive," Meli said. She breathed out a small breath of relief. She knew it had been weighing heavily on Leo's mind, and now he was assured that she'd survived her jump into the river.

"Yeah, that is good. That way she can go to prison." The redhead's voice was hard.

Meli glanced at her but said nothing. She suspected there had been plenty of bad blood between the two kunoichis. "Have you fought her a lot?" she asked.

April drew her knees up to her chin. "I wouldn't say a lot, but we've had some scuffles, yeah. She's a good fighter."

Meli took that in. She'd never wanted to be a ninja, content with just having the skills Raph had been teaching her, but sometimes she did wonder how it felt to be April, to know she could take on ninjas and bad guys by herself if she needed to. _I don't think Leo would go for me wanting to be a kunoichi._ He'd made it plenty clear, several times, that she wasn't even to use her boxing and hand-to-hand skills unless she absolutely _had to_. Her stomach growled, and April smiled.

"I'm thinking you should try that seafood we made," she said and got up. "I'll bring you some."

Meli nodded her thanks and reached for the remote. Flipping through stations, she paused on a news one and watched, her eyes widening. "April!"

"What?" The redhead vaulted over the couch and landed next to her. Meli gestured at the TV, where two young women were talking to reporters.

"You say they were _turtles?_" the reporter asked. Her speculation echoed in her raised eyebrows. One of the girls nodded.

"Yeah, really big talking turtles. They busted up all the bad ninja guys and got us out of there," she said.

"It was really cool and amazing," the other girl added."We're really grateful to them."

April and Meli exchanged looks, and Meli felt a swell of panic go through her. It wasn't good for the boys that people were seeing them up close and personal. She knew they'd had run-ins with humans plenty of times, but none of them had ever gone to the reporters. If they had, she'd have heard about them long before meeting Leo and his family. The reporter, to her credit, looked incredibly skeptical, and turned to her viewers.

"So there you have it, the story of how these young women were rescued by _turtles_," she said.

"No one will believe them," April said. "Alligators, maybe, but not turtles."

Meli looked at her, and they both laughed for a second. "But it's really disturbing anyway, don't you think? I mean, what if someone did believe them? And came looking in the tunnels?"

April shook her head. "I doubt it. They've been here for seven years now. And Donnie has the surrounding tunnels rigged with security gear. They'd see someone coming. Now, how about that seafood?"

"Okay." Meli trusted in her sister's confidence, and got up to follow her out to the kitchen. Her phone buzzed again and she read the text, her eyes widening. "Leo thinks they found him!" She texted him back and looked up to see April smiling.

"I told you it would be okay," she said. She took Meli by the hand and led her into the kitchen and made her sit at the table. "I know this will look kind of weird, but trust me. It's super good." She put a bowl of food in front of Meli with a flourish.

Meli picked up the chopsticks and took a bite. The food seemed to melt in her mouth and she eagerly ate another bite. "Ooh, this is really good!"

"Told you." April smirked. She put a bottle of water next to Meli's arm and sat down across from her. "So…are you okay with staying here for now?"

"I am, but I wish I didn't have to leave the Trove closed for so long. Last time I did, I had quite a few of my regulars complain," Meli said. She ate some more, musing to herself how she'd surprised her new family with her skills with chopsticks. Leo had been impressed, and that had made it worth all the time she'd spent practicing in the last year whenever she ordered Chinese or Japanese food.

"Hate to say it, but it's either unhappy customers or an unhappy boyfriend," April said. She smiled in sympathy. "I totally get that, though. Even if my dad were home, Donnie would still make me stay here."

"Have you ever been quarantined here before?" Meli asked.

"A few times, yeah. It's not bad when the boys are home, although they used to crowd me a lot. Now, with you here, too, it's not so bad." April's blue eyes twinkled. "You definitely keep Leo's attention."

Even though they'd been together two months, Meli still blushed. "Yeah, yeah." Her mind wandered to her boyfriend, and she wondered how they were faring, if they'd found her father. "They'll be okay, right? I mean, going up against Saito again?"

April didn't answer right away, and Meli appreciated that. It meant the older girl didn't see the need to blindly offer reassurance she didn't have. "I think so. Saito is tough, but our boys are tougher." She drank from her bottle of water. "And they fight smart. Even Raph."

"He probably didn't listen to orders real well back then, did he? When they first started?"

April shook her head. "Oh, no. He and Leo used to fight a lot more, but they've got things figured out now, for the most part. I mean, you've seen them get into it. But when they're fighting enemies, they've got each other's backs. Always."

Meli finished her seafood and nudged the bowl aside. Swallowing some water, she put the cap back on and nudged that away as well. She was restless, wanting to know what was happening topside, and knowing full-well the boys would not be happy if she did. _And I'm not crazy enough to go up there without them, anyway. Not even with April._ She trusted her sister to keep her safe, but they would be no match for Saito's goons. Karai, probably. After all, April had fought her a few times.

A loud clanging sound erupted, and April lunged up from her chair and bolted from the kitchen. Meli followed and saw her and Splinter disappear into Donnie's lab. She followed them, and found April shutting off the alarm while examining a section of computer screens. "There," she said, tapping her nail on one of them. "Someone tripped that trigger wire."

Splinter leaned down over her shoulder and rubbed his chin. "Something bigger than the average sewer rat."

"Yes." April pressed some buttons on the screen's console and the picture shifted, showing more of the tunnel. "This is the main tunnel, which is still blocked from those explosions." She sat back in her chair and tugged on the end of her ponytail. "Someone had to trip it. It's set for something human-sized."

A cold finger of fear traced down Meli's spine and she shivered while glancing over her shoulder. "Shouldn't we go investigate?"

"No." Splinter straightened. "I will go look. You two girls stay here and monitor the tunnel." He left, knowing his order would be obeyed. Both of them waited, tense, eyes glued to the monitor, until they saw their surrogate father step into the frame. It was dark, but they could make out his shape, his form. As they watched, their eyes adjusted to the shadows.

"What do you think happened?" The words had barely left Meli's mouth when they saw the ninja master get thrown forward. Meli gasped while April swore. Splinter stayed on his feet, swinging around, hands at the ready for combat. A blur, fast and almost without shape, moved out from the wall and hit him again. This time, he went to one knee. Meli's heart thundered in her chest.

"Stay here. I'm going to help," April said. She jumped from the chair and took off before Meli was able to make sense of it. Three minutes later, the young kunoichi joined the fight, which was growing steadily one-sided. Splinter had landed some blows, but not as many as his adversary. Meli watched with growing horror as the shadow fought with April, who was good. Very good. Still, even with her skills and Splinter's, the blurred shadow was gaining the upper hand. There was no sound with the audio feed, but Meli could imagine the grunts and groans as the three fought. April went down hard, and as Splinter spun to protect her, to keep his daughter safe, a second blur stepped from the shadows and swept his legs, knocking him down. It then cracked him across the face, and the rat's head bounced back against the hard dirt. He was still. Meli's hands automatically came up around her face to hide her eyes, but she couldn't stop watching. The other blur, the first one, did the same to April, and then they both turned to face the camera.

A scream welled up from deep inside, but Meli held it. The two blurs were human, as far as she could tell, since they were wearing masks, and neither seemed to be female, ruling out Karai. One of them made a rude gesture at the camera, threw something sharp at it, and it winked out, static filling the screen. Meli pushed back from the monitor and paused. What was the best thing to do? Her family was gone. She was completely alone now. _I can at least protect myself_. But as soon as the thought came, it languished as she cast it aside. Whoever these men were, they'd just dispatched a trained ninjutsu master and a kunoichi. How did she think she could beat them? _Think, Tompkins! What would Leo want you to do?_ Were the men even headed this way? She had to figure they were, as they'd taken the time to take out her protectors. She ran to the massive door and swung it shut, bolting it. That would at least take them some time to get through.

Ten seconds later, she lost power. Gone. No lights, no sound. Terror swarmed up through her nervous system, and she had to mentally fight off the panic. She was still safe. Sweat beaded along her temples and she impatiently brushed it away. Her ears were focused, listening for any sound. She tried to remember how Leo had taught her to calm down. _Deep breaths, in and out. Control it. Slow._ She could hear his voice in her head. Patting her jeans pocket, she realized her cell was on the kitchen table, and swore under her breath. There was no way she would be able to retrieve it now. _Maybe April and Splinter are on their feet now, and coming._ Somehow, though, she doubted they were. And even if they had gotten back up and were coming, the two men would likely put them down again.

Something knocked on the other side of the door. Meli backed up and looked around for something she could throw, or swing. Anything. But Donnie's lab was immaculate, and she remembered then that he and April had cleaned it the night before. _They won't take me without a fight._ The thought rang through her mind, and she grasped tightly onto it, bringing up her fists. She would fight. Of that, there was no doubt. Raph hadn't been training her for nothing. The door handle twisted. She took a breath, held it, eased it out. Another twist of the handle. Something hard thudded against it. She winced, and mentally berated herself. _Be tough. You are a ninja's girlfriend. Act like it!_

Something pinged on the floor beyond the door, and rolled underneath. She heard it at the same time she threw herself on the floor and crawled under Donnie's lab table. There was a definite hiss, and a foul smoke rose up from the device. Meli coughed, gagging. Her eyes stung, and she got up, hoping the air was better up higher. It wasn't. Every breath caused a sharp gasp of air, drawing the sickening smoke into her lungs. She retched and the seafood slipped from her mouth, splattering on the floor of the lab. Another device clanged across the floor to join the first, and the air grew too thick to even breathe. She gasped and flung herself at the door, fumbling with the sliding bolt. _I'm suffocating…can't breathe…_her hands caught on the bolt, she slid it, and pushed the door open, falling forward onto her knees and wheezing, desperate for breath.

Someone grabbed her roughly under the arms and hauled her upright. She was still gasping, the clean air fighting for room in her seared, oxygen-deprived lungs. A sudden, stinging slap across her face snapped her eyes open, and she blinked through the haze. A pair of ice-blue eyes met hers.

"So. You're what all the fuss is about." The man was holding a tight black mask in his left hand, and reached with his right to run his knuckles down her jawline. Meli tried to jerk away, but hands from behind grabbed her head and held it still. "She hardly seems worth all this effort."

"We should go. We don't want that old rat waking up."

"No, though I'd like another go with the redhead. She was fierce." Blue Eyes grinned at Meli. "You _are_ cute. Maybe that's what the Master sees in you."

Meli couldn't yet speak. The vile smoke still seemed to be curled in her chest, making breathing a real effort. Blue Eyes nodded and the man behind her jerked her backward by the hair. "Yeah, that's gotta hurt," the man holding her hair said. "I like it." He tugged harder, eliciting a sharp cry from her.

"Let's go. I'll inform the Master we're on our way." Blue Eyes slipped his mask back on, drowning out his features, and then pulled a second one from a hidden pocket. "This is going to be tight, cutie pie. Might restrict your breathing a little." He pulled it on over her head, and Meli tried to fight. But the lack of air had taken its toll on her, and she gave in to the tight mask. Someone picked her up and slung her over his shoulder, and she kicked and squirmed.

"She's feisty, too." The one carrying her set her down.

"Not for long." This from Blue Eyes, and Meli suddenly fell to her knees, the crack to the back of her head sending bright sunrays shooting across her vision. Another hit and her world tilted into sideways blackness. She hit the floor cold.


End file.
